


To Think of Time

by WhiteravenGreywolf



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Good Girls, F/F, Fluff, Loosely follows Apocalypse, Mallory is Cordelia and Misty's daughter, Time Travel, foxxay - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23243083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf
Summary: Mallory is sent back to 2015 to warn the coven of the coming of the Antichrist. Only, no one is supposed to know that she came from the future, and especially not Cordelia and Misty.
Relationships: Misty Day/Cordelia Foxx | Cordelia Goode
Comments: 62
Kudos: 94





	1. Prologue: It's Like Falling Asleep

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I am so excited to post this story! I don't want to brag too much but I think it's my new masterpiece.  
> I will be posting a new chapter each day, except today where I'll post both the prologue and the first chapter, cause I'm not a monster, I can't just leave you with the prologue and be like "see you tomorrow!".  
> Anyway, I found this idea on Tumblr, about Mallory being Cordelia and Misty's daughter coming back from the future to save them and I absolutely had to make somthing with it. I hope you'll enjoy it too. Now just a heads up, since the story starts in 2015 Misty is still stuck in hell, so all of you foxxay shipers out there are gonna have to wait a bit for Misty to arrive, but not too long because, again, I'm not a monster.  
> That's all I had to say, so once again, I hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “To think of time – of all that retrospection,  
> To think of to-day, and the ages continued henceforward.
> 
> Have you guess'd you yourself would not continue?  
> Have you dreaded these earth-beetles?  
> Have you fear'd the future would be nothing to you?”  
>  -Walt Whitman

For a second, she was transparent, absolutely see-through, incapable of breathing properly. Then, Time caught up. She took a deep breath and cleared the tears out of her eyes. She was shocked they had traveled with her, clinging to her cheeks even through the dark waters of time. She looked around. She was standing right in front of the gates. The night was dark, moonless. The streetlights didn't seem powerful enough to keep the darkness at bay, yet they were also too bright to allow any stars to shine.

  
Mallory shivered. She wondered what month it was, what year. She strengthened her hold on the ring nestled in her palm. She'd focused so much on 2015, but what if it wasn't 2015? What if she was too late, or too early?

  
Mallory placed a hand on the gate. She could feel the energy radiating from it. A spell had been placed on it, she knew. She sat down against the cold stone pillar, her back leaning against the gate. She was glad she'd been wearing the shawl her mom had given her. She folded her legs against her chest and wrapped the shawl over her entire body.

  
A long shiver took over her being. She sniffed, trying to hold the tears at bay. It was impossible to get the images out of her mind. Every time she blinked, they came back to the front of her mind. So much blood and death. So much desolation.

  
Pulling the shawl even closer to herself, Mallory slid the ring her mother had lent to her on her ring finger. If only they'd had something of his, some hair, a finger, she could have traveled to him directly. Deal with him herself. But he was miles away, and she had nothing, only the clothes on her back. She was going nowhere without her mother's help.

  
Cordelia, she chastised herself. Call her by her name, Cordelia. She couldn't let anyone know the truth. Mallory let out a shaky breath. The task ahead of her seemed impossible. Everyone's life rested on her shoulders. How could she carry such a weight? And what would happen if she failed?

  
The screams of her witch sisters still rang in her ears. The desperate pleas of her mom telling her to go, run, twisted into a horrible scream when the fires of hell themselves took over her body. Her mother giving her one last kiss before disappearing out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Her voice seemed so far, and yet so strong, each word etched into Mallory's mind. Satan has one son, but my sisters are legion, motherfucker. She'd never heard her mother swear like that. Mallory wanted to smile with pride, but the words had followed the strongest feeling she'd ever felt. Like she was breathing for the first time, but also the deepest, strongest, most heartbreaking despair she'd ever felt. It was still there, lodged in her chest like a ball of spikes, clinging to her heart.

  
Mallory took one shaky breath and bundled closer under her shawl. Morning should come soon, and then everything would be fine. She knew it would be.


	2. Future Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia wakes up to find a young woman sleeping outside the school's gates.

Once Cordelia was ready for the day, she exited her bedroom and went to the kitchen. Some of the girls were already coming and going, getting a cup of coffee or tea before heading to the dining room. Cordelia saluted them with a smile. She went to take a mug and fill it with coffee, when she noticed Queenie and Zoe, standing side by side in front of a window in the dining room. She frowned and quickly filled the mug before going to her council.

  
"I don't want to have to carry her," she heard Queenie said.

  
Zoe let out a disheartened grunt, seemingly disappointed by her friend.

  
Cordelia came to stand behind them.

  
"What are you two looking at?" she asked.

  
Both Queenie and Zoe stepped aside, just enough to let Cordelia access the window. Cordelia pulled the light curtain aside and looked outside. The girls had been looking at the gates outside. At first, Cordelia didn't notice anything wrong. Then, her eyes found a small form in the corner.

  
"We thought it was one of the girls who decided to sneak out last night," Zoe explained, "but everyone's accounted for."

  
"Maybe a girl waiting to get in," Queenie suggested.

  
"Obviously," Cordelia replied, her voice filled with worry. "Do you know how long she's been there? She must be freezing."

  
Without missing a beat, Cordelia placed her mug on the nearby table and strode through the hall. She opened the front door, letting the cold October air inside. If a shiver ran over her body she didn't even notice. She hurried down the steps. She could almost feel the eyes of a few of the girls who'd rushed to the windows to see what she was doing.

  
With a movement of the hand, she dispelled the locking spell. She opened only one of the two gates and came to stand beside the girl. At first, all she saw was a black woolen shawl with white flowers, wrapped tightly around a small frame. A mess of hazel hair rested against the stone pillar. Cordelia kneeled beside the girl. She was deeply asleep.

Cordelia tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder.

  
As if she'd been shocked, Cordelia pulled her hand back. A fleeting image passed through her brain, so quickly she almost didn't catch it at all. She frowned. She saw a black snake biting an apple, and the apple turning liquid, into blood. The blood boiled until it turned black. She blinked, trying to make sense of the vision. She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by a whine.

  
The girl was waking up, stirring and complaining with soft tired sighs. Cordelia hesitated, before placing her hand once again on the girl's shoulder to get her attention. Large brown eyes flew open when they landed on her.

  
"Are you okay?" Cordelia asked softly.

  
The girl nodded, shifting and stretching her arms and legs.

  
"Yeah, just... I didn't think I would arrive at night..."

  
Cordelia frowned.

  
"You spent the night here?"

  
The girl vaguely shrugged in a way that was so familiar to Cordelia, yet she couldn't remember why.

  
"Got nowhere else to be..."

  
Cordelia nodded.

  
"Why don't you come inside?" she suggested. "You must be famished. We'll find you something to eat and then maybe we can talk. I'm assuming you came here for a reason."

  
The girl nodded and pushed herself back up. Her eyes roamed over Cordelia quickly, as if she were looking for something in particular.

  
"Yes, I need to speak with you," the girl said.

  
Cordelia offered her a smile.

  
"Come on, then, let's get inside."

* * *

Mallory followed Cordelia inside, and into her office. Nothing had changed, the walls were simply whiter, stainless. Cordelia sat down behind her desk, and Mallory let herself fall in one of the chairs in front of her. Her entire body ached from sleeping folded against the gate. At least it hadn't rained.

  
Cordelia started looking through the piles of paper on her desk, swiftly finding everything she needed. Mallory had a small smile. She was always so organized and prepared for everything. Not everything.

  
"I'm Cordelia," she introduced herself.

  
"I know," Mallory replied, before pursing her lips. "I mean I saw you on TV," she remembered the lie they'd prepared.

  
A few seconds later, a young woman with long brown hair, dressed in a tasteful combination of black and white, walked in with a mug in one hand.

  
"Here, you left it in the dining room."

  
Mallory's eyes widened in surprise at the voice. She had long-passed memories of this young Zoe, but seeing her again was like a hammer to the head. Cordelia accepted the mug gratefully. Zoe glanced at Mallory. Cordelia placed the mug carefully in a corner of her desk. All of this seemed so awfully familiar.

  
"Zoe," Cordelia called her former student before she'd left her office, "can you bring something to eat to..."

  
"Mallory. Sorry, I should have introduced myself before. I'm Mallory."

  
"Zoe, nice to meet you."

  
They shook hands briefly, and Zoe turned to look back at her Supreme.

  
"Bring some breakfast for Mallory?"

  
"Of course."

  
Zoe exited the room, closing the door behind her, and Mallory's attention returned to Cordelia.

  
"I don't remember receiving any message from you," Cordelia said as she checked her computer. "Usually students send us an email or two before coming."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"I know, but I didn't really stop to think before I left."

  
"I can see that. Did you not bring anything with you?"

  
Mallory shook her head.

  
"My wallet was stolen on the way, my phone too. It's a miracle I made it here."

  
Cordelia offered her a sympathetic smile.

  
"Well, you're safe now," she assured. "So you saw us on TV?"

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"That's how I knew this was where I needed to be. My parents caught me floating in my sleep," Mallory explained, "and now they think I'm a Devil worshiper."

  
This was a partial truth. Her parents had indeed found her floating in her sleep when she was ten, but they'd given her a magic blanket to keep her in her bed. Floating in one's sleep is a lot more dangerous than it sounds, especially the landing.

  
Cordelia smiled at her again.

  
"Maybe we can be your new home," she offered. "Would you like that?"

  
"Very much," Mallory replied, choking back tears.

  
Cordelia smiled again and picked up a pen. Before she could start to fill it in, however, Mallory called her attention back.

  
"There's something else too. I've been having visions."

  
Cordelia's pen hung over the piece of paper in front of her.

  
"What kind of visions?" she asked.

  
"Dreams. I think it's called oneiromancy, seeing things in dreams that haven't happened yet."

  
Cordelia nodded.

  
"It does happen to a few of us, from time to time. I've had some of those dream visions in the past. What did you see?"

  
Cordelia picked up her mug, blowing lightly on the hot dark liquid.

  
"The end of the world."

  
Cordelia's entire being stilled. With a somewhat shaky hand, she placed the mug back on the table.

  
"Are you sure?"

  
Mallory needed.

  
"It happened a few times. I saw fire taking over the earth and nuclear detonations. I saw a man, I think he's the son of the Devil. And I saw here, with blood everywhere and all the other witches..." Mallory's voice caught in her throat.

  
Cordelia stood up from her chair and came to sit in the one next to Mallory, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  
"It's okay. Now that you've told me, I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make sure this never happens."

  
Mallory nodded. She brushed her eyes, trying to get the tears out. Then, without thinking, she threw herself in Cordelia's arms. Cordelia was slow to return the hug, at first too stunned to move. Finally, she wrapped her arms around the young witch.

  
"Thank you," Mallory whispered.

  
When they separated, Cordelia stared at Mallory intensely. Mallory looked away, afraid that if their eyes crossed, Cordelia would somehow recognize her, even though it was impossible.

  
The Supreme stood up and went back into her office chair.

  
"Let's enroll you first, and then I'll call a council meeting to discuss your visions, okay?"

  
Mallory leaned back lightly in her chair.

  
"Whatever you think is best, I'll follow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you tomorrow for chapter 2!


	3. Of Oracles and Antichrist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia calls an council meeting to discuss Mallory's visions.

Cordelia didn't want to put Mallory in front of the council, especially since it was her first day, and the other girls would start talking, but she knew she had no other choice. Instead of calling a formal meeting, however, she decided to hold a more informal meeting in the living room, just the four of them. Cordelia, Zoe and Queenie seating in armchairs, and Mallory on the couch. It almost reminded Cordelia of a time that seemed too far now, when she only had four students.

  
"I called this meeting today because of some alarming information Mallory shared with me this morning," Cordelia explained.

  
Both Queenie and Zoe looked at Mallory. It felt so strange being here, in front of these women she knew so well yet didn't know at all, while they had no idea that they share a deep, two-decades-long connection with her.

  
"Mallory told me that she has been having visions of what we've assumed to be the future."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"I think I saw the end of the world."

  
Both Zoe and Queenie were stunned for a second before Queenie groaned.

  
"This is going to ruin my vacation, isn't it?"

  
Cordelia offered her a comforting smile.

  
"Unfortunately your trip to LA is going to have to be postponed until we've dealt with this. But I promise I'll get you another ticket."

  
Mallory had no idea if she should say something about Queenie's infamous trip to LA. She decided to keep quiet for now.

  
"Tell them what you told me," Cordelia asked.

  
Mallory pursed her lips thoughtfully. She needed to give them enough information to guide them toward Michael's location, without giving away things that wouldn't be in visions, which usually required interpretation.

  
"It's like I said. The first time I only saw nuclear explosions, and the world covered with flames. I didn't give it much thought but then... I saw a man with a pale face and black eyes. I didn't know what he was but he was surrounded by snakes and blood. And then I saw him again, a few times. I heard his name too, Michael. I saw you too, facing against him."

  
Mallory paused, thinking of a better way to orient her mother in the right direction.

  
"Did you see anything else?" Cordelia prompted softly.

  
"I saw a house. An old house. And the sky above was red, with thousands of crows flying above."

  
"A demonic sign," Zoe agreed. "Do you know where this house is?"

  
"I didn't, at first, but then I saw the address during another vision. I looked it up. It's called the Murder House. It's this old haunted house in LA. I read a lot of people died there."

  
Cordelia looked back at her council.

  
"I guess you'll get to go to LA in the end. Just not for fun."

  
Queenie shrugged.

  
"I'm sending you both to investigate, actually. Investigate but don't attack him. The Antichrist is no joke."

  
Mallory nodded in agreement. She remembered vividly still. Zoe's body stabbed into the wall with one of the piano's legs. Queenie full of bullets that her magic couldn't give quickly enough to Michael. A shiver passed over Mallory's body.

  
"Friend trip to LA."

  
Queenie and Zoe high-fived. For a second Mallory thought they weren't taking this seriously, but one look at Zoe's tense shoulders told her the opposite. They were trying to distract themselves from the truth.

  
"I already found a hotel," Queenie said. "It's downtown. Kinda vintage, old in a creepy sort of way but I think you're gonna love it."

  
Mallory's eyes grew wide.

  
"No!"

  
When three pairs of eyes turned back to her, she tried to explain:

  
"I mean, I heard the traffic in LA is brutal, and if we want to deal with this quickly... I mean, do you really want to be stuck in traffic when the Antichrist could be plotting something?"

  
Queenie gave her a long look, then shrugged.

  
"Whatever. We'll try to find a closer one. But if it's my last night on Earth I will not stay in a motel."

  
"We'll make all the arrangements later," Cordelia assured.

  
She turned back to Mallory.

  
"I'd like to try something if you'll allow me. I want to see what you've seen. If you'll let me into your mind, and show me what you saw."

  
Mallory instantly stiffened. Cordelia could not get into her mind, or she would see the truth, and that truth Mallory did not want her to see. Cordelia offered her a gentle smile.

  
"You don't have to if you don't want to. But I promise, if you allow me in, I'll only look at your visions, nothing else. I won't overstep."

  
Mallory thought about it longly. What better way to convince Cordelia of the situation than to show it to her. It was a risk, but if Mallory could pick and chose, focus to only give Cordelia what she needed, without showing her the parts she shouldn't see. It was worth the try. She nodded tentatively.

  
"Alright, let's try."

* * *

Cordelia had sent Zoe to the greenhouse to get a few things. In the low light of the fireplace, Mallory laid down on the floor. Cordelia traced a circle around her with white salt. The circle turned into an 8, two loops, and she laid down in the second loop, the top of her head touching Mallory's. When Zoe came back, Cordelia instructed to spread the leaves over their touching heads.

"Are you ready, Mallory?"

  
Mallory nodded, nervous energy vibrating out of her body.

  
"I am."

  
Cordelia closed her eyes and began reciting a spell Mallory had never heard before. Soon after, a ball of pain formed in the perfect middle of her brain. She closed her eyes, trying to focus her mind. Show her what she needs to see, and nothing more. Cordelia finished the incantation. A wave of energy flew out of Mallory, sweeping her entire being away.

  
She saw the house, and the red sky and the crows, as she'd describe. She saw Michael, and his shadow, a horned, winged being. She heard screams in the distance. The walls of the school painted in red. Bodies dropping like flies. Her mom's scream, as flames took over her. And her mother's voice, as fire overtook the earth. Satan has one son but my sisters are legion. The pain as she stabbed her chest.

  
Mallory sat up with a gasp, placing both hands on her chest. The hole left by the knife wasn't there, but it had left a ghost imprint behind. She breathed deeply, her eyes searching around her. She felt two hands on her, grounding her. She blinked back tears and found Zoe, kneeled beside her and anchoring her.

  
"It's okay, breathe. Breathe. You're safe."

  
Mallory did as she was told, forcing her lungs to pull air in and push it out.

  
"Guys..."

  
Queenie was standing over Cordelia, who was still laying down, lids partially open, revealing the white of her eyes. Her entire body was trembling, like a leaf in the wind. Mallory gasped fearfully. Queenie kneeled beside her Supreme and placed a hand on her arm.

  
"Cordelia, come on. Come back."

  
A silent scream escaped Cordelia's lips as her eyes flew open. It was stuck in her throat. She coughed, trying to get it out. Then, she sat up, out of breath.

  
"Breathe," Queenie instructed her. "You're back."

  
Cordelia took deep breathes, attempting to calm herself.

  
"What did you see?" Zoe asked.

  
It took a few seconds for Cordelia to reply, in between two exhales.

  
"I saw all of it. The end of the world, just like Mallory said. And I saw myself sacrificing my life, so another could rise."

  
Cordelia looked at Mallory. For a second, the younger witch feared she'd let her mother see too much. But Cordelia continued:

  
"I was older, though. This apocalypse isn't due for some time, that's the only good news I can think of."

  
Queenie let out a sigh of relief.

  
"Alright, we're fine then."

  
Cordelia shook her head.

  
"He's already born, I saw it. And we are not waiting twenty years for him to become stronger. Go pack your bags, you two leave as soon as possible. Find him, report back to me as soon as you do. Even if he's just a child."

  
Zoe and Queenie exchanged a nervous look, but they stood up and left the room. Cordelia turned to look at Mallory, who was still seated beside her.

  
"You might just have saved this entire coven," Cordelia said. "Thank you."

* * *

Zoe and Queenie left early the next morning, forcing Cordelia to cancel all classes. Mallory voluntarily isolated herself from the other girls, hiding in a corner of the greenhouse with a book instead of spending time with the other students. It was there that Cordelia found her, in the middle of the afternoon.

  
"We missed you at lunch," she said, leaning against the metal structure of the greenhouse.

  
Mallory looked up from her book.

  
"I didn't see the time pass."

  
Cordelia nodded.

  
"Zoe texted me, they should be at the house soon."

  
Mallory pursed her lips.

  
"They have to be careful," Mallory said. "I don't want anything to happen to them because I..."

  
Cordelia shushed her with a shake of the head.

  
"Don't worry. I trust them completely to handle the situation. And even if something happened, it wouldn't be your fault. You did the right thing," Cordelia assured her.

  
Mallory managed a smile.

  
"How did you find this hiding spot?" Cordelia asked with curiosity.

  
Mallory shrugged. My mom showed it to me.

  
"Don't underestimate someone's ability to find a place to hide when they want to be alone."

  
Her answer made Cordelia smile.

  
"Well, when you feel like being a bit more social, some of the girls have organized tabletop games for this afternoon, if you'd like to join. They've all been very curious about you."

  
"I can imagine."

  
"You don't have to be afraid. We all have our history before we joined the coven. Some had bad experiences like you, some had good stories to share. But if you don't want to share yours, just tell them and they'll understand."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"Thank you. I'll just finish that and then maybe I'll join."

  
Cordelia smiled. She started walking away when her phone's vibration echoed in the empty greenhouse. She pulled it out of her pocket quickly.

  
"Zoe?"

  
Mallory's heart froze in her chest. She leaned forward, her eyes on the Supreme.

  
"Are you sure? Did you talk to her?"

  
A few seconds later, Cordelia swiveled and placed a hand on the nearby table to steady herself.

  
"I see... Stay on your guard. See you soon."

  
Cordelia ended the call and let out a shaky breath.

  
"What is it?" Mallory asked, already pushing herself up.

  
"Michael has disappeared. They found the house, and they found his grandmother, but she has no idea where he went. Apparently, he just vanished into thin air a few weeks ago."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!   
> I've decided to take a few prompts if you have any idea, cause I want to write more foxxay but I don't know what to write. I like writing AUs and I don't do smut, but beside that, you can just suggest me anything if you have an idea.  
> Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow for the next chapter!


	4. Motivation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory tries to convince Cordelia that they need the help of a few dead friends to win the fight.

Mallory wasn't sure she was dreaming at first. When sleep had taken over her, with great difficulty, she'd felt her mind sinking down, down, maybe all the way to Hell itself. She sure felt like she was in Hell. There was blood everywhere around her. All of her sisters, the friends she'd made during her school years. Some of them had tried to hide, to run. Some had tried to fight back. He'd burned them all without a difference.

  
She was being pulled up the stairs, to the nearest bathroom. The older ones had formed a wall in front of him. Michael. Tall, with long blond hair, and a red velvet jacket. Like he was prepared to shed blood, so he wanted to dress in the appropriate color. His cold eyes had found hers for a second. All emotions had drained from her body.

  
"Go! Come on!"

  
Climbing up the stairs had been a challenge. Each step was cold, it made her body heavier. Still, her mother continued to pull her up, her mom pushing her along. She saw from the corner of her eyes Zoe being stabbed by the leg of the piano, her feet hanging a few inches from the ground. The Antichrist had caught fire then, Madison trying to keep him in the hall for as long as she could.

  
They'd reached the first floor somehow, and Mallory felt her mom's grip on her weaken. She turned around. She'd never seen her mother so angry and full of fury, so ready to fight. But not to die. There was a flicker in her eyes. It made Mallory's inside wring.

  
"Go, I'll hold him off."

  
"Mom..."

  
There were tears in both their eyes. Her mom placed a kiss on her forehead, before pushing her away.

  
"Go!"

  
She caught a glimpse of flames while her mother pulled her in the bathroom. Even the locked door couldn't muffle the scream. Cordelia opened the tap to its maximum and helped Mallory in the tub.

  
"Mallory, focus."

  
Still, Mallory couldn't detach her eyes from the door. Cordelia took her face in her hands.

  
"It's gonna be just like a bad dream, I promise, but right now you need to focus."

  
Mallory managed a small nod, and Cordelia pulled out one of her rings and placed it in her daughter's hands.

  
"Focus on this, like we practiced. You can do it."

  
Mallory trapped the ring in her hand and placed it over her chest. She started reciting the words, over and over. But the water wasn't bubbling, it wasn't turning dark. Mallory continued, pushing each word off her tongue, tears running down her cheeks.

  
"I'm... I'm sorry..."

  
Cordelia gave her one last smile, and a kiss on her forehead.

  
"I love you."

  
She stood up, opened the door. Mallory knew what would follow. She knew. If she stood out of the tub and tried to stop her mother, maybe they could do it and defeat him together. Her whole body shook. She remained in the tub and waited for the inevitable to come.

* * *

Mallory woke up sweating, a gasp escaping her lips. She heaved, trying to breathe while keeping her stomach steady. She was thankful she didn't share her room with anyone. A shiver passed over her body. A single tear ran down her nose, and over her lips.

  
She remained seated in her bed until she was sure her legs could carry her. Then, she left her bedroom. Her eyes burned with sleep, but she also knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, not yet anyway. She picked up a sweater Zoe had lent her on her way out. She closed the door silently and made her way downstairs.

  
She planned to go to the library, and spend the rest of the night there. The stairs creaked slightly under her feet. She didn't mind, the familiar sound grounded her. She could see light coming from the kitchen, illuminating the entrance hall. The ground there was still white, pristine, it helped ease her nightmare away. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she paused. Maybe Zoe and Queenie had already returned from LA. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. Finally, she pulled the sweater closer and walked into the kitchen.

  
Cordelia was seating in the small table there, a mug in front of her. The kettle was slowly heating over the stove. She looked up when Mallory entered, a few strands of blond hair falling in front of her eyes. She brushed them aside.

  
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Cordelia asked, faking authority with humor.

  
"I had a nightmare," Mallory confessed.

  
"Another vision?"

  
Mallory shook her head.

  
"No, just a nightmare."

  
Cordelia motioned for Mallory to sit down. Mallory pulled the chair carefully, lifting it instead of scrapping the ground, to Cordelia's surprise. She sat down and pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her cold hands.

  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Cordelia offered.

  
She would love to. She would love to tell her mother about it, about this nightmare that could be a memory or some twisted form of a memory, or one that her mind could have entirely made up. And maybe there never was an Antichrist, to begin with, and she made it all up. She shook her up.

  
"There's nothing to say."

  
Cordelia nodded. The kettle whistled. Before it could make too much noise Cordelia turned the stove off with a motion of the hand. She picked up her empty mug, the tea bag already hanging over the rim, and stood up.

  
"Do you want some tea?"

  
Mallory grimaced slightly.

  
"I never really... acquired a taste for it. Not that my mom didn't try."

  
It escaped her lips before she could stop her, the allusion to her mom. But still, tea and potions and decoctions alike, they all tasted the same to her, like grass and water. Like vase water.

  
Cordelia poured herself a cup and came to sit back in the chair.

  
"I get the feeling your parents were very... difficult with you," Cordelia tried.

  
Mallory pursed her lips.

  
"Again, it's not my place to pry," Cordelia assured her, "but I want all my students to know they can come to me to talk if they ever need to."

  
Mallory sighed through her nose.

  
"It wasn't... It became more difficult, recently."

  
"When your powers emerged?"

  
"I've always had... but recently, it's been... more difficult, yeah."

  
Cordelia nodded.

  
"I can't imagine what it must have been like for you, to wake up with all these visions without knowing what it all meant, why you had those dreams."

  
Mallory looked away. Down at her hands hidden under the sleeves. When she looked back up, she found Cordelia staring at her.

  
"I promise you, we'll find Michael, wherever he is. I won't let him win, not without a fight."

  
Mallory leaned toward her Supreme.

  
"It's what I'm scared of. What if even putting up a fight isn't enough?"

  
What if coming back in time wasn't enough? What if Mallory will have to come back in time again, and again, and again until they can defeat him? Cordelia seemed just as scared of their potential defeat as Mallory was.

  
"Well, we seem to have at least a bit of time ahead of us. All we need is to make sure that we are ready to fight him, all of us, together."

  
"But what if we don't? We need more people. Aren't there other witches you could call for help?"

  
Cordelia sighed. A lot of witches had left the coven when she decided to go public, feeling excluded when Cordelia turned to a newer generation. And the three she could think of at that moment, the only ones she could really trust, were dead.

  
"I would love more than anything to call Myrtle back, but she's going to be very angry about it."

  
Mallory chuckled.

  
"I'm sure if it's for the good of the coven she'll understand."

  
She pursed her lips, thinking.

  
"What about the two others I heard about? Madison and Misty?"

  
It was manipulative, she knew. Her mother wasn't supposed to go and fetch them in hell for another two years, once she'd finally figured out a way. But Mallory could give her the way, and really, she wanted to see her mom again, even if she couldn't tell her that.

  
Cordelia froze.

  
"How do you know about them?"

  
Mallory shrugged.

  
"I heard the other girls talking. I asked them about the pictures on your desk. They said Misty was stuck in hell, and Madison had landed there when she'd been killed."

  
Cordelia sighed longly.

  
"I can't bring them back. I already tried but I failed. I'm not powerful enough."

  
"You're the most powerful witch, Cordelia," Mallory assured her. "I'm sure you can do it, you just haven't figured out how yet."

  
Cordelia sipped her tea silently. Mallory could see that she was thinking. She hoped she'd given her mother a push in the right direction. If not, she would have no qualm going down there herself to retrieve her mom, even if she had to out her secret to do it.

  
"I should go back to bed," Cordelia finally decided. "You too."

  
Mallory stood up and gave one last smile to Cordelia.

  
"You'll figure something out, I'm sure of it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Have a bit more patience, Misty will be back to life very very soon I promise! In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm still open for prompts if you have any. I think I might just have had an idea for another foxxay story but I'll have to think about it a bit more, we'll see.  
> Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow for the next chapter!


	5. An Eye for an Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory decides it's high time to bring the team back together.

Zoe and Queenie returned without the Antichrist, or his location, which worried Mallory terribly. Classes started again, and the issue of the impending apocalypse seemed to have been pushed aside. It made Mallory nervous, kept her up most nights. She was thankful she didn't need to pay too much attention in class. She was a natural, after all. She impressed whatever she did, turning roses blue and the petals to butterflies, and reversing it all just for the heck of it.

  
Zoe soon took a special interest in her. They had a common interest in books, and Zoe decided to take her under her wing. She taught her a bit more than the others, pushed her to always go to her limits. Mallory was so surprised at the familiarity she felt in those moments, she didn't even dare to tell her that she was already an accomplished witch who didn't need any more practice.

  
Still, Mallory continued to spend time alone, away from the other girls. She knew all of them, and she knew which one had died defending the coven, and which one had refused to return because they didn't want to die. It made it difficult to form any sort of friendship. Instead, she disappeared to the greenhouse and hid there, sometimes all night. Even Cordelia left her alone there.

  
She'd read all the books she could find about traveling to Hell. She was absolutely determined to go get her mom and Madison, and since Cordelia wouldn't do it, she knew it would fall on her. Her eyes drooped as she re-read the same line for the third time. They burned with sleep. She sighed and rubbed them furiously. She just wanted to finish this chapter, was it too much to ask?

  
There was a loud bang as the door to the greenhouse flew open. Mallory jumped in surprise but remained hidden in her corner. She heard a voice she'd never heard before.

  
"Come, my darling, I trust you've kept some of that magical mud somewhere?"

  
Cordelia's voice, strangled with pain, followed:

  
"There, on the shelf."

  
Mallory leaned out of her hiding spot, just to see Cordelia walking in, holding out her left hand in her right. The woman beside her was dressed in a bright red dress, with equally bright red hair, falling like the twigs of a willow tree around her face. Mallory recognized her immediately. Myrtle Snow.

  
"Here," Myrtle started applying mud on Cordelia's hand, who sucked in a pained breath. "If our dear Misty's mud could bring me to my splendor in a matter of days, I'm certain it will do wonders for your hand."

  
Once she'd applied the mud, Myrtle looked around her, as if she were looking for something. Soon after, she tore a piece of her dress and wrapped it around Cordelia's hand.

  
"I've always hated this dress. Perhaps I should have bothered redesigning it before going to the stake again."

  
Cordelia placed her right hand on Myrtle's hands.

  
"I'm happy you're back."

  
"I assumed you wouldn't have brought me back if you didn't have a semblance of affection for me."

  
Cordelia chuckled lightly.

  
"I mean it. I'm glad you're back. We're gonna need all the help we can get against the Antichrist."

  
Myrtle's eyes suddenly looked past Cordelia and fell directly onto Mallory, who jumped back into the shadows.

  
"No reason to hide, my child," Myrtle said. "You're only in trouble if you're hiding a boy back there too."

  
Mallory stood up, her book in hand.

  
"No, I was just reading."

  
Cordelia looked at Mallory with disappointment.

  
"I already told you to be in bed by eleven, didn't I?"

  
Mallory pursed her lips. Still, she approached the two other witches. Myrtle laughed:

  
"Why does this remind me of something, Delia? A young witch who hides in the greenhouse to read, instead of going to bed?"

  
Cordelia blushed lightly but brushed Myrtle's comment aside.

  
"Mallory, this is Myrtle Snow. Myrtle, this is Mallory. She's the one who had the visions."

  
Mallory extended a hand to Myrtle, who took it in both of hers.

  
"Oh, my poor child. Plagued with nightmares of the future, and incapable to do anything about it."

  
Mallory vaguely shrugged. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe it. She was standing in front of Myrtle Snow, her mother's spiritual mother, the witch she'd looked up to her entire life. Maybe she had fallen asleep in the corner while reading.

  
"I can make you something for the nightmares if you want?" Cordelia suggested.

  
Mallory shook her head.

  
"No, I can deal with the nightmares."

  
Myrtle tapped her hands a few times in sympathy before letting her go.

  
"Such a strong girl, too. Truly, Cordelia, I find myself transported in the past, and seeing a young, pubescent version of you once again."

  
Cordelia rolled her eyes in amusement.

  
"I think we all need to get some sleep," Cordelia suggested, her eyes falling straight on Mallory.

  
Instead of running off, Mallory asked:

  
"Does that mean you're going to bring the others back too?"

  
Cordelia's face fell.

  
"Bringing back Myrtle was easy. I'd kept her ashes this whole time. But I don't know where Madison was buried, and Misty..."

  
Myrtle placed a hand of support on Cordelia's shoulder.

  
"Poor Misty failed her Descensum, and her body turned to dust as her soul remained trap in Hell."

  
"But you'll find a way to get them out, right?" Mallory asked, hopeful.

  
Cordelia sighed longly.

  
"How about we continue this conversation tomorrow? I'm tired after bringing Myrtle back."

  
Mallory nodded, but couldn't quite conjure the supportive smile she wanted.

  
"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

  
She walked away toward the door. She paused. Cordelia had fallen into Myrtle's arms. She heard her broken voice echoing in the greenhouse:

  
"She puts so much hope and trust in me, I can't..."

  
"It's alright."

  
Mallory brushed a tear out of her eyes. If her mother wasn't going to do it, then she knew she had no other choice but to go and get Misty and Madison herself.

* * *

Mallory disappeared after breakfast. She knew Zoe would come looking for her after the class, which didn't leave her as much time as she would have liked, but anyway, they would find out soon enough what she had done, especially once she came back. She locked the door to her bedroom and sealed it with a spell her mother had taught her. It was all she could do to slow them down. She laid down on the ground beside her bed and took a deep breath.

  
"Spiritu duce, in me est. Deduce me in tenebris vita ad extremum, ut salutaret inferi." 

  
She closed her eyes, taking one last inhale.

  
"Descensum!"

  
Mallory opened her eyes. She was standing on the stairs of the Academy, blood covering the entirety of the ground in a single, thick puddle. When she looked around her, she found the bodies. All of her sisters, hanging from the stair banister, like Christmas decorations. Mallory's heart stopped in her chest, and she had to repeat to herself that it wasn't real, and she had to look for the exit.

  
"It's too late."

  
The voice ignited the fire in her chest. Michael was standing at the bottom of the steps, a smug grin on his lips that she wanted to erase.

  
"I've already won. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

  
Her personal hell was still the same as before. Before, she'd wasted a few hours running up the stairs and trying to use Tempus Infinituum to go back. It would just send her right back to this moment. This time, she wasn't afraid.

  
"Not until I'm still breathing."

  
She held out her hand, sending Michael flying back against a wall. She ran past him, and to the front door of the school. She didn't pass through, however. Passing through would send her back, she knew. She was at the edge of life and death. That was where she called:

  
"Papa Legba!"

  
She could hear Michael getting back on his feet behind her. If he got back up he would kill her, and she would be sent back on the stairs, she knew.

  
"Papa Legba!" she shouted even louder.

  
She looked back. Michael was straightening his jacket, an evil glim in his eyes.

  
"Papa Legba! I want to speak to you!"

  
Mallory closed her eyes, ready to feel the Antichrist's hands on her. She held her breath. Nothing happened. She turned around. The blood on the ground was gone. The bodies no longer hung on the banister. A man was standing by the first landing. He was dressed in old, expensive clothes, with a black top hat over his dreadlocks. He was holding a cane.

  
"I was wondering when you would come and talk to me, unfortunate one," he said with a thick accent.

  
Mallory walked closer.

  
"I'm here to get Madison and Misty."

  
He smiled, his red eyes gleaming with interest.

  
"I know why you are here. And I am not the only one. You want to stop the Antichrist. What I want to know is how far you are ready to go to stop him."

  
Mallory swallowed thickly. She expected a deal, but she still feared what he would ask of her.

  
"What's your bargain?"

  
Papa Legba smiled.

  
"I am a ferryman. If everyone dies then I have no one else to ferry. I will help you, but not for free. Because your victory would help me, I will be generous, and let you take one of them for free. Your pick."

  
Mallory frowned. It was generous, too generous, and he knew very well she couldn't agree to it. Logically, she could just go get her mom, but realistically, she would hate herself for not getting Madison out too.

  
"And if I want them both?"

  
The Gatekeeper smiled.

  
"Then I will make you an offer for both of them. What I want is a loan from you, until you defeat Michael Langdon. If you can beat him, I will return to you what you have loaned me. If you lose, well, I get their souls back, and it's not like you will miss your loan anymore."

  
Mallory nodded in understanding. She could loan him something, she wasn't afraid. And once they would win, she would get it back, whatever it was.

  
"What do you want from me?"

  
"Your eyes."

  
Mallory frowned.

  
"My eyes?"

  
There was amusement in his voice when he spoke:

  
"Like your mother had to lose her eyes to become Supreme, I want you to lose your eyes to defeat the Antichrist. So, do we have a deal?"

  
Mallory took a deep breath. It was as Papa Legba said. If her mother could do it, so could she. She walked up the steps and held out her hand.

  
"Deal."

  
He smiled, revealing all of his white teeth, and took her hand in his.

  
"Your mama is down the hall. I will send my little helper to get the other one."

  
Mallory blinked, and he was gone. She didn't give herself time to register what she had just done. She rushed up the stairs and tried every door until one opened. She froze. She was standing by the entrance of a science classroom. All the students were focused on the tray in front of them. The teacher was seated in his office chair, reading a book.

  
"Mr. Kringley, she did it again!"

  
Mallory followed the voice of the boy and found her mom. Misty was seating on a stool, a live frog in front of her, trying to jump out of her tray. She was in tears. The professor stood up and walked with purpose all the way to Misty.

  
"Where's the dissected frog?" he asked sternly.

  
"It's right here," the boy said, " she brought it back to life."

  
"Shut up, Bobby. She snuck a live one to trick you, but the trick's on her. Pick up the scalpel."

  
"No, please, no, I don't want to..."

  
Misty's voice broke and turned into sobs. Mallory reacted quickly. Before the teacher could force the scalpel in Misty's hands, she sent him flying against the wall. He hit it with such strength, he didn't get back up. Misty's eyes were wide, in shock, as she looked at Mallory, who walked up to her with a smile. She stared at Misty, committing her to memory. Who knew how long it would be before she saw her again?

  
"Are you here to save me?" Misty asked, brushing the tears off her face quickly.

  
"Come on," Mallory held out a hand, "Miss Cordelia is waiting for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I not promise Misty would be back soon?  
> I have been furiously writing between yesterday and this morning. This new foxxay oneshot is about +8600 words for now, I just have one last scene to write, and I know it's gonna need some rework, so don't expect it just yet. I'll keep it in my pocket for now, pull it out once I'm done posting this story. We don't know how long this quarantine is gonna last, guys, we need to ration everything!  
> Anyway, I'm still up for prompts if you have any. I have a bit of homework to do this week but I know I'll still have too much time on my hands. Beside that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you tomorrow for the next one!


	6. When I See You Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory returns from Hell with Madison and Misty, but without her eyes.

Cordelia had busted Mallory's door open with the strength of her magic. Zoe, Queenie, Myrtle, and a few students stood behind her, looking inside the room. Mallory was laying down on her back, her eyes closed. It didn't take much time for Cordelia to understand what was going on. She gasped:

  
"She used Descensum..."

  
She kneeled beside Mallory and took her in her arms softly.

  
"Mallory, come back."

  
No reaction. She turned to her council.

  
"Do we know how long she's been down there?"

  
They looked at each other and shrugged.

  
"She was at breakfast," one of the students behind Zoe said.

  
"Just a few hours then," Queenie summarized. "I'm sure she'll be fine if she's as good as Zoe said."

  
Cordelia glared at her. She turned back to Mallory and whispered:

  
"Sequere lucem. Venite ad me."

  
She held her breath, waiting. She had little to no faith in that spell, not after it had failed her in her most dire moment.

  
"Mallory, come on, follow my voice. Come back to us."

  
Cordelia sighed. She carefully placed Mallory back on the ground. She turned to Myrtle.

  
"Get everyone downstairs, I'll try to..."

  
Cordelia saw all of her friends' eyes shifting, from looking at her to looking at the ground. Cordelia followed their gaze. Not one but two piles of dust had started to form beside Mallory's unconscious form. Cordelia took a step back. The first shape, furthest away from Mallory, took shape quickly. Cordelia's mouth fell open in shock when Madison appeared in her entirety, as if she'd never died at all, and had simply been sleeping the entire time. She opened her eyes and gasped. She sat up, looked around, and saw Cordelia, Zoe, Queenie, and Myrtle staring back at her.

  
"Oh great. Please tell me I'm not wearing that stupid uniform anymore."

  
She looked down at herself, and let out a sigh of relief when she saw she was in the exact dress she had died in. Everyone else was still stunned.

  
"Madison..."

  
Madison smirked.

  
"Surprise, bitches. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me?"

  
She stood up, brushed her dress, and everything seemed back to normal. Cordelia wanted to move, to take her in her arms, but she found herself rooted in place.

  
The second pile of dust took shape a bit slower, but it didn't take long for Cordelia to figure out who it was. While Madison was begrudgingly being pulled into a hug by her friends, Cordelia kneeled beside the lifeless body of Misty. She felt the younger witch's soul reentering her body, she could almost see it. The next second, Misty's eyes opened. She sat up and saw Cordelia beside her.

  
"Miss Cordelia..."

  
"Misty..."

  
Cordelia pulled Misty into a tight hug. She knew she was crying. She could feel Misty's tears falling on her shoulder.

  
"Am I..."

  
Misty's voice was a weak whisper.

  
"Yes, you're back. You're safe."

  
She'd almost forgotten about Mallory until she heard her gasp beside Misty. Mallory's hand flew to her face, hiding her expression completely.

  
"This one..." Misty started, placing a hand on Mallory's shoulder. "This one she's an angel, she found me and..."

  
Though Cordelia didn't want to separate from Misty, she moved closer to Mallory. Still, Misty held onto her arms fiercely.

  
"Mallory... What you did was absolutely unacceptable," Cordelia said, her voice shaking as she tried to be stern.

  
"I know..." Mallory replied with a strangled voice. "But I had to."

  
Cordelia pulled her into a hug, which Misty joined quickly.

  
"Thank you," she whispered in Mallory's ear.

  
"Yeah, what a lovely little reunion."

  
Cordelia looked up at Madison, who'd managed to disentangle herself from her friends. She stood up and pulled Madison into a hug of her own.

  
"I can't breathe," Madison said, pretending to hate being hugged.

  
"Tough shit," Cordelia replied.

  
She let go of Madison a few seconds later, brushing back tears. She turned around. Misty was clinging to Mallory with visible worry.

  
"I think we should continue this conversation in my office," Cordelia said.

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"Yes, just... I'm gonna need a bit of help to get there."

  
She removed her hands from her face, and Cordelia felt struck by the sight of her eyes. They were paled, veiled by something as if she'd burned with acid. Cordelia gasped.

  
"What have you done?"

* * *

Mallory was helped down the stairs and into Cordelia's office. All she saw was darkness. Absolute and utter darkness, and nothing else. Around her she heard so many sounds, so many voices, it was dizzying. She turned her face to see where they came from, but still, she saw nothing. She was placed in a seat in Cordelia's office and felt someone seating beside her.

  
"It's me, Misty."

  
She nodded and leaned almost instinctively toward the swamp witch. She heard chairs scrapping the ground, people seating, doors being closed and locked. Silence fell suddenly, and Mallory was terrified by it. The heat emanating from Misty's body was the only insurance she had that she wasn't alone in the room.

  
"I told you it was too dangerous," Cordelia said, and Mallory's face turned to her. "Even if you succeeded, even if you brought back my girls, I have to punish you."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"I know. I don't care. Now we have a fighting chance."

  
She heard a sigh.

  
"How did you do it, my child?" Myrtle asked.

  
Mallory's head turned in what she assumed to be Myrtle's direction.

  
"I used descensum. I read about Papa Legba, so I called upon him. He said he would let me take them back if I loaned him my eyes."

  
"Just loan them?" Cordelia said in surprise.

  
Mallory nodded.

"Apparently, he hates Michael just as much as we do. He said once the Antichrist is dead, I can have my eyes back."

  
"Yeah, what's this about an Antichrist?" Madison asked, prompting Mallory to turn her head. "When Nan came to get me she said I was needed to fight the Antichrist."

  
Cordelia's breath itched at the mention of her former student.

  
"Nan? You saw Nan?"

  
"Yeah, the little gremlin works for Papa now. She's very good at torturing people, which I don't doubt for a second."

  
Cordelia sighed.

  
"The Antichrist has come to Earth to destroy everything. We've been looking for him but we lost his scent not too long ago. I brought Myrtle back to help us. I tried bringing you two back before but I couldn't."

  
"It's okay, Miss Cordelia," Misty said. "You did your best."

  
"Thank you, Misty."

  
"Well, her best wasn't enough, obviously, so who's this bitch?"

  
"Mallory..."

  
Mallory intervened quickly:

  
"I'm just a student. I had visions of the end of the world, so I told Cordelia."

  
Mallory wished she could see Madison's face, try to decipher what she was thinking from the way her lips quirked and her eyes shone, but she couldn't.

  
"So what's her punishment?" Madison asked.

  
Cordelia fell silent for a moment. Myrtle intervened:

  
"Cordelia, perhaps we can imagine that the girl has been punished enough, losing her sight in such a crucial moment. How about I take her as my assistant for a few weeks. She can help me work on a spell to track Michael down."

  
"I think listening to Myrtle's theremin all day is punishment enough," Queenie said.

  
Cordelia sighed.

  
"Fine. Mallory, you'll have to help Myrtle for two weeks."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"But I'm warning you, if you ever go behind my back like that ever again, I'll have no other choice but to expel you."

  
Mallory swallowed thickly but nodded nonetheless.

  
"I understand."

* * *

Getting used to losing her sight was going to take some time, she knew. She refused to use a cane, which made moving around exceedingly more difficult. Thankfully, the other girls helped her whenever she needed to do something a bit difficult, especially Zoe and Misty. Even Madison once or twice took pity on her and helped her walked down the stairs. Still, she didn't need her eyes to feel the other girls' eyes on her. Their whispers followed her everywhere she went. It was only at night that she heard the silence, and it terrified more than anything.

  
Working for Myrtle wasn't that bad. The older witch was patient with her and her inability to see. And her theremin playing wasn't so bad. Myrtle was right, it was very soothing for the soul. Mallory never missed a beat, and always applauded as soon as Myrtle finished a piece.

  
"I am very glad Cordelia didn't expel you on the spot, or else I would have never known your exquisite companionship."

  
Mallory passed her hand over the spellbook beside her. One of the things she hadn't even thought about was how much she would miss reading. Now all she could do was sit in the library and passed her hands over the books, hoping they would give away their wordy secrets. She couldn't even hide in the greenhouse anymore, she'd lost her hideout.

  
"Do you think she would have done it?"

  
In all her many years of life she'd never seen her mother expel anyone out of the school or the coven, even Madison who very often tested her patience.

  
"She should have," Myrtle replied. "You disrespected the authority of your Supreme which is by far the most damning thing you could have done. Lesser Supremes would have done it on the spot. But Cordelia is both kinder and wiser than them. She knows your value to the coven, even blind."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"She was blinded too, right? Before she became the Supreme."

  
She'd heard often the tale of how her mother had had to pass the test of the Seven Wonders while blind, and how becoming the Supreme had returned her sight. But it was too late for Mallory. She'd already passed the test. She was already a Supreme, and yet not a Supreme too.

  
"Indeed. I helped restore her sight. What wonderful work it was, my masterpiece. But she didn't like it, she thought it took her Divining abilities away. So, she sacrificed her sight again, so she could See."

  
Myrtle paused, and Mallory wondered what she was thinking.

  
"Truly, you have been marching in her footsteps. Perhaps I could do another masterpiece. All I need is to locate the melon baller."

  
Mallory chuckled, then shook her head.

  
"I made a deal with Papa Legba, I doubt changing my eyes would fix anything. In fact, I'd worry it would make things worse."

  
"Suit yourself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Writing Myrtle is so much fun!  
> When I first planned the story I had not planned for Mallory to give up her eyes, I just kind of added it in the moment because I thought it would be cool, but then I was halfway through writing this chapter when I realized I would be working with a blind character for the rest of the story... Whoops. Guess I'll just have to find a way to make it work.  
> As usual, I hope you enjoyed this story! I haven't had any new ideas for a foxxay story for now so if you have anylet me know, and I will see you tomorrow for the next chapter!


	7. Supreme Junior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory adapts to her new disability, while Madison becomes suspicious of her.

All in all, Mallory did not regret giving away her sight. Though she couldn't see, she could feel the love between her parents igniting and growing, day after day. She heard it in every one of their interactions, in the way Misty's voice trembled slightly when she called 'Miss Cordelia', in Cordelia's smiling voice when she told her to drop the miss. To her surprise, Zoe and Madison were also pretty quick to get back on their feet. For one thing, they didn't argue as much as they used to, which Queenie never missed a chance to remain them. Zoe, much like Cordelia, seemed happier than before, more full.

  
Misty's returned from hell was difficult, and she woke up the coven more than once, screaming in her sleep. It wasn't anything Cordelia couldn't fix, with a lot of time and attention. Madison was harder to pinpoint. She could spend some nights without sleeping at all. Mallory would hear her wandering around the house like a ghost, walking out of her bedroom and down, through the entire ground floor, sometimes going outside, then back in.

  
With a bit of training, Mallory figured she didn't need her eyes to see the people around her. She could read their magical auras, to know who was who. Of course, it didn't work with non-magical people, but she hadn't been out of the house at all lately, so she didn't care.

  
Cordelia's aura was the strongest, like a lighthouse. She could feel it through walls, even when she was on the opposite side of the house. It was an ever shimmering beacon of power, like a bright light she could never turn off. At any given moment of the day, she could tell where Cordelia was. Her magical aura also amplified the ones from the people near her, making it easy to see who she spent the most time with. Misty.

  
Misty's aura was calm, like a wave-less ocean. It was timid at first as if it had trouble coming back to her, slowly escaping hell and sipping back into her body. But the more time she spent with Cordelia, the stronger it grew. Like a flower in spring, it bloomed back to its full possibility and never withered.

  
Zoe's aura was comforting, like a warm blanket in winter. It wrapped around the people near her. This was a quality it shared with Cordelia's aura, though not as powerfully. Zoe didn't make other people's magic stronger, but she made it more confident. Hers was almost solid, Mallory sometimes wondered how she managed to step through doors and not get stuck, with this cloud around her.

  
Queenie's aura was warmer still, almost red in Mallory's mind. It spiked up when she laughed, expended every time she felt any sort of positive emotion. And when she felt a negative emotion, it vibrated, ready to explode. Once Queenie got so angry, Mallory felt it bubble, like water over a fire. It sipped the air from around her and left everyone around her breathless.

  
Myrtle's aura was cold, in an enjoyable sort of way. Exactly like snow. The feeling of coolness she exuded was coupled with a feeling of intelligence and wisdom. Whenever Mallory was near her, she couldn't help but shiver. But it also had its whimsical side, especially when she played a musical instrument. Then, it would rise and sway with the music, twirl around her but always returning, anchored to her completely.

  
The only aura Mallory felt apprehensive around was Madison's. There was something uncomfortable about being too close to Madison. Her aura was a ball of spike very few could touch. Zoe was one of those few. When they stood side by side, Mallory could stand Madison's aura better. But when she was alone, Madison exuded an uncomfortably hot aura, like a dragon's fire, ever burning. And she was very good at dialing up the temperature too, going from zero to one hundred in an instant. Mallory didn't know how she didn't set fire to everything around her constantly. She stayed away from Madison as much as she could, hoping her aura would calm eventually.

  
Unfortunately for Mallory, Madison had taken a special interest in her. She could feel the blonde witch following her around all day, observing her. More than once Mallory had to leave the room and hide in her bedroom, as Madison's intense magical aura had given her a headache. She asked Zoe why Madison was following her around like that, and while Zoe promised to ask her friend, it didn't make Madison stop. In fact, one afternoon, while Mallory was seating in the dining room, drinking a glass of water and waiting for Zoe to come to get her for her next class, she heard Madison's high heels clicking on the floor, closer and closer.

  
Her shoulders stiffened, as the hot ball of spikes that was Madison pulled the chair beside hers and sat there.

  
"The bitches left you alone," she said.

  
Mallory tried to swallow and shrug. Madison's aura, so close, was extremely overwhelming. Now she understood why so many of the girls had a crush on Madison Montgomery. Her magical aura was stifling.

  
"Zoe's coming to take me to my next class," Mallory explained simply.

  
"Right. Well, according to what she says, it's not even like you need those classes anyway. She says you're the best witch she's ever seen, maybe even better than Cordie."

  
Mallory pursed her lips.

  
"I don't think that's possible. She's the Supreme."

  
"She may be the Supreme, but she didn't get me and Swampy out of Hell. You did. And I can't help but wonder how the fuck you actually did it."

  
Mallory's fingers tightened ever so slightly around the glass.

  
"I gave my eyes for you guys, remember?"

  
"Yeah, I can see that. But that's not what I'm talking about."

  
"I don't know what you mean."

  
To shut herself up, Mallory drank. As soon as the water touched her tongue she knew it was a horrible mistake. She could taste it. The plants, the poppy seeds. She tried to spit it out but she knew it was too late.

  
"I should try spiking blind people's drink more often," Madison said, "but really it's not fun. It's just too easy."

  
Mallory's head was already growing heavy. She felt Madison pulled the glass out of her hands, and she didn't even struggle to keep it.

  
"When you wake up, you and I are going to have a little chat."

* * *

"Jesus, Maddie, let her out!"

  
"Not until I've proven that I'm right!"

  
Mallory opened her eyes, not that it served any purpose. But at least Madison and – a feeling of safety – Zoe would know she was awake. She could feel something holding her tightly in a seating position. The smell of dust filled her nose. Cordelia's aura was a few levels under her. The attic. Madison had locked her up in the attic, and Zoe had probably found her.

  
"Looks who's waking up."

  
Madison's magical aura became even more aggressive. Even with Zoe beside her, it started to give Mallory a headache.

  
"I put you under a truth spell while you were knocked out. I'll end it once you tell us the goddamn truth."

  
She wondered if Madison had really put her under a spell or if she was just laying. The Madison she knew wouldn't have had any trouble doing it, but this one, who'd spent the past few years in Hell, had a lot of catching up to do. Maybe Zoe had done it for her, then again she couldn't imagine Zoe would actually do something like that.

  
"All of this is illegal and you know it," Zoe intervened. "Cordelia's going to be so pissed when she finds out."

  
"She doesn't have to," Mallory said. "If I really am under a truth spell than anything I'm going to tell you has to stay between us."

  
This peaked both of the witches' interest.

  
"What do you mean?" Zoe asked.

  
"I told you she was a lying bitch."

  
"I only lied because I had to."

  
Mallory decided to test the extent of Madison's spell:

  
"I l... I li... I like..."

  
It felt like something was pulling on her tongue, hard, about to pull it off. She stopped struggling:

  
"I hate tea! It's like grass and hot water, why would anyone think it's a good idea! This is not a drink, it's a potion, and it's not a good one because it doesn't nothing for your body."

  
She let out a long breath.

  
"Okay, the truth spell works."

  
"See, I told you I knew what I was doing. Now talk."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"If you untie me, I'll tell you everything. I just don't want to be tied to what I assume is one of Spalding's doll chairs for longer than necessary."

  
She waited, and finally, she felt Zoe come closer and untie her.

  
"It's a chair I brought from the kitchen, but sure, whatever," Madison said. "How do you even know about Spalding?"

  
"Are you kidding me?" Mallory said, feeling her arms coming loose from the rope, "he's like a ghost story here. Only the bravest venture in the attic on the anniversary of his death. You take a porcelain doll with you if you're really suicidal."

  
"Glad to see you girls have new traditions, but that's not what I want to hear about."

  
Zoe pulled all the ropes off of Mallory's body, then moved back to stand beside Madison.

  
"You didn't lie to Cordelia, did you?" she asked. "About the Antichrist and all that?"

  
Mallory shook her head. With a sigh, she decided it was time to come clean.

  
"I didn't lie about that. By 2047 Michael is going to become so powerful, he's going to cause a nuclear apocalypse. But first, he wanted to kill all the witches. None of that I lied about. The house she sent you to, that was also true."

  
"You never said anything about 2047."

  
"I couldn't," Mallory explained. "If I gave information that was too precise, Cordelia would have never believed that I've had visions."

  
"Makes sense," Zoe agreed.

  
"So what are you, some sort of angel?"

  
Mallory shook her head.

  
"I'm the new Supreme. Well, the next Supreme. I used Tempus Infinituum to return back in time, and warn the coven in advance."

  
There was a moment of silence, and if Mallory couldn't feel their aura, she would have thought they had left her alone in the attic.

  
"That doesn't make any sense," Zoe finally said. "I mean, yes, I can see you're powerful enough to be a Supreme, but Cordelia hasn't started fading yet. And I've never heard of that spell before."

  
"There's never been a witch with this power before. It's so rare and so dangerous they've stopped teaching it. But if you look in one of Myrtle's spellbooks, you should find it. And Cordelia won't stop fading until my other self begins rising again. I'm not even born right now. But my Cordelia was fading, she sacrificed herself when Michael attacked the coven so I could rise, and come back here. We're both Supremes."

  
"This is too complicated even for me," Madison said. "You're giving me a fucking headache right now."

  
Zoe remained thoughtful for a few minutes longer. Finally, she decided:

  
"We have to tell Cordelia."

  
Mallory felt her moving away. The door's lock shut loudly, startling Zoe.

  
"Did you not hear what I just said? You can't tell her. No one is supposed to know."

  
"She's my Supreme, I can't just keep something so big from her."

  
"I know. She's my Supreme too, but we need to. I already changed Time by coming here, by telling her about Michael and by bringing Misty back. I'm afraid that if time changes more than that, I'll never become who I'm meant to be."

  
She felt Zoe moving closer to her once again.

  
"There's more, isn't there?" Madison said. "I can see you dancing around the truth by picking your words, but that's my game. Come on, spit it out."

  
Mallory sighed.

  
"We can't tell Cordelia or Misty about this. They need to fall in love, and whatever happens, they need to live and reach 2022 happy and together, or else they'll never adopt me."

  
Madison let out a gasp. Zoe asked:

  
"Wait. So you're Cordelia and Misty's daughter from the future?"

  
Mallory nodded. Zoe was silent for a moment. Madison laughed.

  
"This is too great. You're not just the next Supreme, you're the Supreme's daughter too. What is it with you Goodes and keeping all the power to yourselves? This is not a monarchy, you know."

  
"I just told you I was adopted."

  
"You sure? You got your mommy's eyes."

  
"Madison," Zoe warned with an edge in her voice. "Take the truth spell off of her."

  
"You sure we can't play for a bit more?"

  
"Playing's over."

  
The magical aura around Madison spiked up, and the tension in Mallory's tongue disappeared.

  
"Thank you."

  
"Don't worry," Zoe said. "Your secret's safe with us."

  
"As long as you don't tell Cordelia I drugged you and kidnapped you," Madison added.

Mallory stood up.

  
"I'll let it slide, this time."

  
She unlocked the door with a movement of the hand and transmuted herself down the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I have been growing increasingly bored all morning, so you get this chapter just a bit earlier than usual cause I needed to occupy my brain. I've not been able to come up with another foxxay story. I just can't find an interesting premise.  
> I have been trying not to rewatch the entirety of AHS since I just finished all 8 seasons a couple of weeks ago (Netflix France does not have 1984 yet, to my great despair) but I feel it's a losing battle. Maybe I'll try to control myself and only rewatch Coven.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you tomorrow for the next one!


	8. Feel the Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory adds a new trick to her repertoire

Madison and Zoe kept their promise, and Cordelia remained none the wiser, which was good. She spent more and more time with Misty in the greenhouse, to the point that rumors started to spread. Mallory felt privileged to get a chance to see the love blooming between her mothers. Now if only she could really see it. She couldn't even scourer the library's many books to look for an answer to her problem. Fortunately for her, Zoe was already on top of it.

  
Now that she knew Mallory was a full-fledged Supreme, she tried to find challenging things for her, really challenging things. One of those was astral projection. There was a chance that, through astral projection, Mallory would be able to see again. Of course, much like Descensum, she couldn't leave her body for too long, but it was already a start.

  
Mallory laid down on her bed, Zoe taking a seat beside her. She did exactly how Zoe had instructed her. She'd never felt lighter. If Tempus Infinituum pulled her down, then astral projection was the opposite, lifting her gently out of her body. Once she was out of her body, for the first time in weeks, Mallory could see.

  
"Zoe, it worked!"

  
She was standing in her bedroom, she could see everything around her, from the pile of clothes on the ground she should probably tidy up to her own body, lying unconscious on her bed. Zoe was sitting beside her, her eyes darting between Mallory's body and the watch in her hand.

  
"Zoe?"

  
No response. Mallory came to place a hand on her shoulder. Zoe's eyes grew wide, surprised.

  
"Mallory, is that you?"

  
"Can you hear me?"

  
"Mallory?"

  
Mallory looked around, trying to look for something that she could move to indicate her presence. She saw a notebook peeking out from under her bed. She must have kicked it there on accident. Using telekinesis, she pulled it out and placed it on the unoccupied bed.

  
"It worked?"

  
The notebook flipped to an empty page. Mallory looked around for a pen but couldn't find one. She sighed, and passed through her bedroom door, to her neighbor's bedroom. There, she stole a pen and brought it back to her bedroom, where Zoe was still waiting for a sign.

  
"Mallory?"

  
Mallory scribbled on the paper. I can hear you but you can't hear me.

  
"You can see? It worked?"

  
She wrote a huge 'yes' on the page. Zoe checked her watch.

  
"We still have some time before you have to return to your body. You ready to test what you can do?"

  
Mallory circled the 'yes' multiple times.

* * *

Astral projection changed Mallory's life even more. She started doing it every time she had a few free hours. It allowed her to read again, but also to spy on the others. She tried not to push it too far though, not after she walked in on Zoe and Madison aggressively making out in their bedroom – which was in their good right, but also happened to scar Mallory for the rest of her life.

  
Her greatest pleasure though was spying on her mothers. Just seeing them again was enough to bring tears to her eyes, if an astral projection could cry. Sometimes she returned to her body and found it had been crying on its own for her.

  
It became almost like a routine. After her class was over, Mallory would hide in her bedroom, lock the door and astral project into the kitchen. There, she was sure to find Misty taking a snack. Cordelia would join her after her class was finished, and together they would go to the greenhouse, and partner up on some project one of them had come up with as an excuse to spend time together.

  
Mallory couldn't help but feel nostalgic when she followed her parents into the greenhouse. This used to be their thing, just the three of them. Taking care of the many plants growing there, planting new ones. But she didn't want to disturb them. Simply, she hung back and watched them do.

  
Misty couldn't work without listening to her music. Cordelia rolled her eyes every time the younger witch turned the radio on but didn't protest. Contrary to rumors the two were not an item yet, and Mallory knew exactly why. It was exactly how her mother had told her. She wanted to give Misty some space, to recuperate from Hell without having to deal with complicated feelings in the way. According to Mallory's estimate, if things progressed as they did, it would take another two years for Cordelia and Misty to confess each other's feelings. So maybe they would share their first kiss some time around 2017. The thought alone made Mallory sigh. How oblivious could these two really be? Maybe she should talk to Misty about it, nudge her in the right direction. But then again...

  
Mallory had pondered the situation longly. In her timeline, Cordelia had finally managed to free Misty from hell in 2017. They'd started dating two years later, had gotten married the following year. And adopted her in 2022. This put them already two years ahead of schedule. If she helped them move even faster, what would that mean for her? Would they get married faster? And more importantly, would they not adopt her, and adopt another little girl instead?

  
Misty laughed at something Cordelia said, pulling Mallory out of her thoughts. She rolled her eyes. Anyone could see Misty was attracted to Cordelia, that she was getting better more quickly thanks to her, how was her mother so goddamn oblivious? It was absolutely infuriating.

  
"In the names of all the goddesses to ever bless this planet, kiss her already!"

  
Cordelia frowned.

  
"Did you say something?" she turned to look at Misty, who'd been singing lightly along with the music.

  
"Nope, just singin'."

  
Mallory placed a hand on her mouth. Cordelia could hear her? Well, maybe not hear her, but certainly, hear something. She almost returned to her body for fear of being discovered. Instead, she took a few steps back.

  
"It must have been one of the girls shouting outside," Cordelia said with a shrug.

  
"It's so strange to see so many girls in the house now," Misty confessed as she trimmed the thyme.

  
"I know, it took me a bit of time to get used to it too. But I remember what you told me, how you were looking for your tribe. I thought other girls must have had the same feeling, and if I could help them, then I had to."

  
Misty smiled.

  
"I didn't know I'd had such a strong impact on you, Cordelia."

  
Cordelia picked up the plant she'd been watering and brought it over to Misty's table, to stand beside the younger witch.

  
"Everything I've done has been because of you. Every choice I made. Pushing you to take the test was my greatest mistake."

  
Misty took Cordelia's hand in hers.

  
"Well, I'm back now. You don't have to feel bad about it anymore."

  
"I don't think I can. It's my fault you've been stuck there for so long. Every time you wake up because of a nightmare I can't help but feel..."

  
Misty offered her a smile and shook her head.

  
"I won't let you feel bad on my account. I'm back, and I'm feeling much better now thanks to you. Stop tormenting yourself like that, okay?"

  
Cordelia nodded, brushing a tear out of her eye before it could fall.

  
"You're too forgiving," Cordelia said with a smile.

  
"It's only you," Misty replied.

  
Cordelia's eyes found Misty's. Mallory held her breath. Were they finally going to kiss, was this really happening? They stared at each other for a long time. Misty's cheeks grew pinker, and Cordelia blushed in turn. They looked away, and Cordelia was quick to pick up the watering can again and move away. Mallory remembered at the last minute to hold in her groan.

* * *

"We need to do something about Misty and Cordelia."

  
"What happened to your 'no meddling rule'?" Madison replied, looking up from her magazine.

  
Mallory was standing in the middle of Madison and Zoe's room, hoping to talk Zoe into helping her. Instead, she'd found out that Zoe was out on an errand for the coven and Madison had spent the afternoon recline on her bed. She probably would have gone out if it weren't so close to raining.

  
"They are getting on my nerves so much. How are neither of them seeing that they are meant to be together?"

  
Madison laughed.

  
"So what, you want to pull a Back to Future on them or something?"

  
"What are you thinking? Like a party or something?"

  
Madison's magazine flapped in her hands.

  
"No. I'm saying if they're meant to be together like you say, it'll happen, and you'll just to sit back and wait like the fucking rest of us."

  
"Prepare for two years of torture then."

  
Mallory walked out and went to her bedroom to astral project. She appeared in the kitchen, but to her surprise, neither Misty nor Cordelia were there. She walked to the greenhouse, and found her mothers already there, standing side by side, working on something together.

  
"... I think they're cute," Misty said, holding out the bulb of a flower.

  
A small bag of bulbs rested on the table beside a few small pots. Preparation for a class, Mallory assumed.

  
"They're kind of like little baby heads with green hair."

  
Cordelia laughed. She put dirt in a pot and left a hole big enough for the bulb, before passing it to Misty, who delicately placed the bulb in. She closed off the hole and placed the pot with the others. She picked up another bulb and held it up.

  
"Isn't it crazy to think that in this small thing there's absolutely everything it needs to turn into a beautiful plant?"

  
Cordelia nodded and watched Misty's long finger placed the bulb carefully, like she would a real baby, before putting a blanket of fresh earth on top.

  
"It's the same with people, really," Cordelia said.

  
Misty tried to hold a smile by biting her lip, but Cordelia noticed.

  
"What?"

  
"Nothin'. I just couldn't help but imagine a baby you, full of all the things she needs to become Supreme."

  
"How did you picture it?"

  
Misty giggled, trying to keep her face straight enough to answer.

  
"A blonde baby wearing black pantsuits and a white shirt."

  
Cordelia couldn't help but laugh. Even Mallory had to hold in a chuckle at the thought.

  
"I don't always wear pantsuits," Cordelia replied once her laughter died down.

  
"I feel like that's the only thing I've seen you wear is all. And pencils skirts. All sorts of formal attires."

  
Cordelia shrugged vaguely.

  
"I do have a pair or two of jeans in my wardrobe."

  
"I'd like to see that," Misty replied with a smile.

  
"How about tomorrow?" Cordelia suggested. "There's no class tomorrow. We could go to the French Quarters, maybe get lunch there?"

  
Mallory could hear the tremble in her mother's voice. She couldn't believe it. Cordelia had just asked Misty on a date. Misty blushed furiously.

  
"Like a... like a date?" she asked with a shaky voice.

  
"Would you like that?" Cordelia asked with a certain uncertainty. "Go on a date... with me?"

  
Instead of replying, Misty leaned forward, probably aiming to kiss Cordelia's cheek. Fate made Cordelia turn to look at Misty then. Misty kissed the corner of her mouth then quickly pulled away, flabbergast. She blinked.

  
"I..."

  
It was like a switch had flipped in both their minds when they realized they'd both been pining over each other. They forgot all about the pots and the earth and the bulbs. Cordelia's hands found their way through Misty's tangle of curls. Misty's hands rested on Cordelia's hips, leaving small dirt marks on the white blouse. They kissed almost feverishly as if all the pressure had popped and nothing could stop them now.

  
Mallory was swift to project herself back in her body. She sighed when blackness returned over her eyes, even though she knew the light of the sun wasn't quite gone for the day. Then, she fist-bumped the air happily. Well, their first kiss had been an accident, but she was happy for them all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First I wanted to say that since we only saw astral projection once in the show, and it really wasn't explained much, I made my own rules for it. Maybe it's not how it should work but hey, at least it led to some foxxay!  
> I got an idea for another foxxay story, I'm gonna start writing as soon as I finish watching The People vs. OJ Simpson (Sarah Paulson is phenomenal) or until my internet crashes so badly that I have to stop watching.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you tomorrow for the next one!


	9. The Alpha Walks Among Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia and the council are called to Hawthorne's to meet the boy they think is their Alpha.

Time went on, to Mallory's relief. She got used to being blind, slowly she stopped relying on astral projection as much as in those early months when she discovered that she could. She made some friends in the academy, though she spent most of her time with Zoe, Madison, Queenie, and Misty.

  
After a year spent at the Academy, Cordelia summoned her to her office. Seeing how much progress Mallory had made – absolutely none, since she'd already completed her training, not that Cordelia needed to know that – and how much potential she had, Cordelia asked her if she'd consider joining the staff in the coming fall. Mallory was ecstatic to retrieve her old position – again, not a detail Cordelia needed to know – and agreed immediately.

  
The fall of 2016 brought even more students eager to learn, and three new teachers. Mallory would be teaching a group of the youngest girls, at her request. Misty would help the girls who wanted to specialize in potion making and green magic. Madison had finally decided to shake herself up a bit, but not too much, so she would serve as a substitute, should another teacher not be capable to make it. Really, she was like a guard dog, nothing happened in the school that she didn't know about, to the point that Mallory started to believe Madison could also astral project.

  
The year rolled into 2017. Though Mallory's worries about the Antichrist had diminished, she was glad to see yet another year come to pass with no sign of the apocalypse. It was another thirty years before it would come to pass. They would track him down eventually and stop him before he could do any harm to anyone.

  
She was teaching a small group of fourteen years old how to lift a spoon using telekinesis. A few of them still struggled with the simple task. In the other room, she could hear Zoe's powerful voice lecturing her students about the transformation of matter, and Josephine Bonaparte's roses. While she couldn't see her students, Mallory could see all of their magical aura, so small and delicate, fragile, in need of nurturing, if they were to ever grow beautiful like their sisters. She could hear the soft chime of metal spoons taken from the kitchen lifting off the table, or landing back. Out of the six girls, only two had yet to succeed.

  
"How about we take a little break?" Mallory suggested. "I can feel all of you are tired."

  
Most of the girls hummed in approval, some nodded before remembering that their teacher couldn't see.

  
"What time is it?" she asked. "Is it four already?"

  
"It's almost three," Laurel's high pitched voice answered.

  
"Alright. Short break, I want everyone back in five and don't make me come after you."

  
She heard the scraping of chairs on the ground and she didn't have the heart to tell them to lift the chairs. That was Cordelia's job. She felt five magical auras wander toward the kitchen together, in a little cluster. The sixth one approached her. She turned slightly in her chair to face the girl.

  
"Miss Mallory?"

  
"What is it, Thea?"

  
"What if I can't lift the spoon?" the young teenager asked fearfully.

  
Mallory offered her a comforting smile.

  
"Then you can't. There's no shame in that. Not everyone can do everything, only the Supreme can. So maybe telekinesis is not your thing. It's alright. You'll shine in something else."

  
Thea nodded, then remembered.

  
"Alright."

  
"Come on now, five-minute breaks."

  
She heard the girl's footsteps echo away. With a small movement of the hand, she reunited all the spoons on the table into a single pile, at the end of the table. Then, she smiled. She didn't need to turn her head to feel Cordelia's irradiating aura in the doorway.

  
"Three are ready to lift a book or two. One needs a bit more practice. The two others I'm going to start training them in divination, I think."

  
She heard Cordelia's footsteps coming closer.

  
"I'm glad to see you shine so brightly as a teacher."

  
"What? I didn't shine before?"

  
"As a student? No, you seemed rather bored, actually."

  
Mallory chuckled.

  
"It's not Zoe's fault."

  
"Speaking of, you're going to have to take over some of her classes tomorrow."

  
Mallory lifted an eyebrow in surprise.

  
"Where is she going?"

  
"The council and I have been summoned to Hawthorne's School for Exceptional Young Men. We're leaving in the morning and I can't have Madison cover for everyone."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"What do they want?"

  
"I don't know yet. Myrtle said they thought it was important."

  
Mallory frowned her eyebrows thoughtfully for a moment.

  
"Do they summon you often like that?"

  
"No. The last time they summoned a Supreme must have been when my mother was still in her prime. They thought they'd find their Alpha, a warlock more powerful than the Supreme. Of course, my mother was quick to put them back in their place."

  
Mallory felt her heart tense in her chest. She had a bad feeling about this.

  
"So who's coming with you? Zoe, Myrtle, and Queenie?"

  
"Yeah. It will not be a pleasant trip, believe me."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"Just stay sharp. I have a bad feeling about this."

  
Cordelia nodded.

  
"We will."

* * *

Mallory was in the middle of giving one of Zoe's classes when she felt the ball of spikes that was Madison open the door.

  
"School's over, bitches, get out."

  
Mallory frowned and looked up at Madison.

  
"Aren't you supposed to be giving a class?"

  
"Zoe texted. She needs you to do your thing."

  
Mallory pursed her lips thoughtfully. Zoe wouldn't have asked her to astral project if it wasn't important, she knew.

  
"Okay. Girls, we'll cut the class short for today, but since I know Zoe will probably test you when she comes back, I suggest you practice on your own. Without setting the curtains on fire."

Mallory stood up and followed Madison up the stairs.

  
"What did she say exactly?"

  
"She said she needed you to see someone. I bet you know just as much as me who's she's thinking about."

  
Mallory was deep in thoughts as she climbed up the last few steps. She hoped with every fiber of her body that Zoe was wrong, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

  
They went into Mallory's bedroom, and she laid down on her bed.

  
"I need something of Zoe's," she said. "I've never astral projected outside of the school, I need something to focus."

  
To her surprise, Madison didn't leave the room. Instead, she placed a necklace in her hand.

  
"I want to back as soon as your done."

  
Mallory couldn't quite hold back a smile.

  
"No problem."

  
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she could feel the sun above her and the ground heating up under its rays. She was on top of a hill, miles above Sierra Madre. A strange, black structure occupied most of the space there. Zoe was standing alone, in the shade of her black hat, checking her phone. Madison must have texted her.

  
"Mallory?" she asked.

  
An isolated bush caught on fire, then as soon as the fire was extinguished it bloomed beautifully.

  
"Follow me."

  
Mallory followed Zoe around the dark walls of the circular structure and all the way to an elevator. Once they were inside, Zoe asked:

  
"You're still here?"

  
The lights above her flickered, and Zoe pressed stop on the elevator panel.

  
"The warlocks called us to meet the one they think is the Alpha. They say he's the strongest warlock they've ever recorded in the history of the school. Cordelia's suspicious, obviously, but since you've seen what Michael looks like."

  
Mallory wanted to reply that it couldn't be Michael, he wasn't even ten, it couldn't have been him.

  
"We're about to meet him now."

  
Mallory pushed the button, starting the elevator again, which Zoe took as a sign that she was ready.

  
The elevator reached the school quickly. It opened on a dark entrance hall, smaller than the one at Miss Robichaux's. Zoe strode in confidently, rejoining the rest of her sisters around the fire pit. There was a small group of men on the other side. Zoe straightened her shirt and looked around. Mallory kept a few feet behind her, looking around. She could barely feel any of the warlock's magical aura, they were even weaker than that of her fourteen years old students.

  
"I'm sorry," Zoe apologized. "What did I miss?"

  
Cordelia cleared her throat and said:

  
"Zoe, this is Michael."

  
Mallory approached the group and followed everyone's gaze. They were all staring at a young blond man, wearing the school's uniform. He looked like a typical Californian teenager, with tan skin and beautiful blond locks. All Mallory could think about was his smile, his evil, evil smile, when he'd cut down every single one of her sisters.

  
She thought she'd been pulled back into her body in surprise, but instead, she found herself rooted in place. He was staring right at her. His cold blue eyes were looking up and down at her. For the first time, while she was astral projecting, she found herself suffocating.

  
"Who is this?" Michael asked.

  
Mallory had a hiccup, and she found herself pulled back in her body. She sat up with a gasp, darkness once again taking over her vision. The last thing she remembered seeing was Michael's face. He recognized her, somehow, she could see in his eyes.

  
"Mallory, hey..."

  
It wasn't Madison holding her down, but Misty, gently bringing her back to reality.

  
"Madison, where...?"

  
"I'm right here," she heard on her right. "You started convulsing and I didn't know what to do."

  
"You have to text Zoe now! Call her! It's him!"

  
She heard Madison pressing her fingers against her phone, her nails bumping against the screen with every press. Mallory was still heaving, gasping for air. Misty took her face in her hands.

  
"Hey, just breathe, okay? You're back, everything's okay."

  
Mallory nodded along, trying to calm her breathing. Her mom's calm energy was seeping into her bones, slowing her heartbeat. However, she couldn't remain calm for very long, especially when she heard Madison cursing beside her.

  
"I can't reach her. This goddamn school for boys is a fucking nuclear shelter, absolutely nothing passes through."

  
"I'm going back," Mallory decided.

  
"No, you can't," Misty replied. "Your body is tired, you're upset, it's not going to do any good."

  
Mallory took a deep breath, trying to compose herself once again.

  
"I have to."

  
She fell back against her bed, closed her eyes, and clenched the necklace in her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is the begining of the end, as they say, where the plot finally decides to rear it's ugly head. Hold on to your seats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!  
> I'm gonna be writing a foxxay one-shot all afternoon so if you want to motivate me leave comments, I love taking breaks in my writing to check if I've received any and it's a great moral boost!  
> Beyond that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you tomorrow for the next one!


	10. End of the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory astal projects back to Hawthorne's to warn Cordelia before it's too late.

Mallory found herself back in the Hawthorne's school, exactly where she had been before being pulled back into her body. The fire pit beside her was lightly crackling. She followed Cordelia's energy through a door, and into a large library. Her sisters were seated on couches, except Myrtle who was seating in front of the piano. The fireplace behind them was also crackling with life.

  
"It has to be him," Zoe said animately.

  
"I mean, come on," Queenie added, "they share the same name and all."

  
"What's in a name," Myrtle replied, "when Michael has been in the top 1000 even before this beautiful country was reached by the Europeans."

  
Cordelia was very silent, obviously thinking.

  
"We can't let him take the test," Zoe added. "It's cheating, he's not even a warlock."

  
"I couldn't agree more with young Zoe," Myrtle said.

  
"I won't let him," Cordelia finally said. "But don't you think it's a bit big, that the Antichrist disappears when we start looking for him, and he suddenly reappears here, as Ariel's prized pupil?"

  
"You think Ariel has something to do with it?"

  
"Could be."

  
Mallory approached the piano and played a few keys, hoping to signal her presence. All four witches suddenly turned to look in her direction.

  
"Mallory?" Zoe asked tentatively.

  
A few more notes rang out. Cordelia straightened in her seat.

  
"Is that who Michael saw, Mallory? How..."

  
"Astral projection," Zoe explained quickly. "I helped her master it. I thought she would be able to see again if she astral projected."

  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Cordelia asked.

  
Zoe pursed her lips, her eyes darting toward Mallory.

"It's not her fault," Mallory said.

  
Cordelia frowned.

  
"I warned you already if you went behind my back I would have to expel you."

  
"Whatever," Queenie suddenly said. "She learned how to astral project, who cares? We have more pressing matters right now?"

  
Cordelia sighed.

  
"We do. But don't think this conversation is over. We'll have that talk as soon as I'm back."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"All you need to know right now is that Michael is the Antichrist. I recognize him. But I don't know how it's possible. He shouldn't be this old."

  
"What do you mean, recognize him?" Cordelia asked.

  
"That is probably part of the conversation we should have later. All you need to know right now is that this is the Antichrist, and either we stop him right here, right now, or you guys need to leave now."

"What did she say?" Zoe asked, filling the silence everyone but Cordelia had been hearing.

  
"You can't hear her?" Cordelia replied.

  
"This is ridiculous," Queenie commented. "Is he or not the Antichrist?"

  
"He is," Cordelia said with a nod.

  
"Alright, then, let's go kill the bitch."

  
"I'll go get the matches," Myrtle said as she stood up. "Zoe, you find the firewood, Queenie the gas. Let's send him back to his father."

  
"Will fire even work on the Antichrist?" Queenie asked as she stood up.

  
"Only one way to find out," Cordelia said as she pushed herself out of the couch.

* * *

While the council started looking for Michael, Mallory decided to help as best as she could, and float up from room to room. She knew he was still around somewhere. His aura wasn't magical, it was a black hole, sucking everything around him. He was easy enough to find.

  
Mallory passed through the floor of what she assumed to be his bedroom. It was a small individual room, with sturdy walls. If she hadn't been ethereal, Mallory might just have felt claustrophobic in here. His bed was made, and a few books rested on his desk. However, there was no sign of the Antichrist. Mallory moved closer to his desk. There was an open notebook in the middle of the desk. It showed a detailed drawing of a young woman in a bathtub, dark bubbling ink sucking her into the depth of time. It was her, successfully casting Tempus Infinituum.

  
"My father didn't expect you witches to be so resourceful."

  
Mallory turned around. Michael was standing in front of her, his arms behind his back and a smug smile on his face.

  
"But he had a few aces up his sleeves too."

  
"I stopped you once, I'll do it again."

  
"Did you? I thought you ran away and abandoned all your sisters to die."

  
Michael was thrown against the nearest wall with a huff. Mallory's held out hand closed into a fist, and the wall behind him shifted into a dozen spikes, stabbing through his entire body and holding him in place.

  
"I'm done running."

  
The lights on the wall flickered as Michael threw himself off the spikes and back on the ground. All the blood and gore which had been pushed out of him seemed to crawl up his body, closing up his wounds. His face shifted into a pale mask, his eyes becoming completely black. He lunged for her.

  
Fire erupted between them, consuming the air in the room. Mallory remained untouched, but Michael was thrown through the wall of his bedroom, and down onto the lower level. Mallory followed him through the wall. She leaned over the banister, looking down, but she couldn't see him. He must have transmuted away.

  
"What is the meaning of this!" she heard Ariel and the other warlocks from the council hurrying through the halls and into the room where Michael had landed, the witches hot on their tails.

  
Mallory passed through the ground and landed beside Cordelia.

  
"It was Michael," she said.

  
Cordelia stopped to listen to her more carefully.

  
"Where is he now?" she asked.

  
"I don't know."

  
"Where is who?" John asked.

  
"The Antichrist," Cordelia replied with a clear voice. "Whom you thought would be a good idea to instruct with magic so he could destroy us all."

  
"What are you talking about?" Ariel replied as if Cordelia had gone crazy.

  
"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Ariel. We have been hunting him down for years now. But of course, I wasn't going to find him, not when you were protecting him."

  
Again, Ariel tried to deny all facts:

  
"I have no idea what you are talking about! This boy is not the Antichrist, he is a powerful warlock. I thought you were different from your mother but this? You are just as weak and scared as she was."

  
Cordelia barely had to move for Ariel to be thrown against the nearest bookshelf, gasping for air.

  
"Say that again. Come on, Ariel. I am weak and scared, is that what you said?"

  
When his face had become sufficiently blue, she let him fall. She turned to John and Behold, who'd been quick to step back from the situation.

  
"Find Michael, if he hasn't run away already."

  
Both men nodded and ran, John quickly climbing up the stairs while Behold searched the ground floor. Cordelia then turned to Baldwin.

  
"Help him up. He's coming with us until this whole mess is sorted out."

  
Cordelia turned around, ready to address her council. However, Mallory's eyes remained on the two councilmen. They were talking and whispering to each other. She frowned. Baldwin helped Ariel up, and the Chancellor pulled something out of his breath pocket. A letter opener.

  
"No!"

  
Cordelia turned around just in time to see both Ariel and Baldwin being pushed back against the bookcase once again. The letter opener, stopped midair before it could touch Cordelia, whirled around and came to float at the center of Ariel's throat, just above his solar plexus. It remained there, perfectly still, merely an inch from his skin. Ariel held his breath, waiting fearfully. His arms snapped in half, his scream echoing throughout the entire school. Beside him, Baldwin was in tears.

  
"Ple...please don't..."

  
A glance around her told Cordelia all she needed to know.

  
"Mallory that's enough."

  
Mallory let out a deep breath. Both warlocks and the letter opener fell back onto the ground.

  
"Ariel Augustus, for attempting at your Supreme's life and conspiring with the Antichrist, I sentence you to die."

  
Before Ariel could defend himself, his mouth disappeared.

  
"Not another word from you."

  
John returned swiftly, almost skidding to a stop on the polished parquet.

  
"Michael's gone."

  
When Behold returned, at a slower yet hurried pace, he shook his head worriedly.

  
"I couldn't find him."

  
"He'll be back," Cordelia assured. "He won't stop until we are all dead."

  
She turned around to look at her council.

  
"Myrtle, call the car. We need to return home as quickly as possible."

  
Then, she looked to where she assumed Mallory must have been standing.

  
"We'll talk when I come back."

  
"I'll hold you to that."

  
Mallory took a deep breath and let the taut elastic pull her soul back into her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Technically I'm not late, I'm just not well adjusted to summer time yet...  
> I wrote half a story yesterday and I was proud of it but then this morning I wasn't sure anymore. I'm gonna give it another try this afternoon, see if I can finish it anyway. I learned a while back that my 75% is someone else's 100%, so even if I'm not completely satisfied with my work someone will always find it amazing, and I owe it to that someone to at least try.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you tomorrow for the next one!


	11. The Ghost of Mallorys Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cordelia and the council return to the academy and it's time for the talk Mallory wanted to avoid.

When the council returned it was in a single car, not the usual two. Mallory heard her students whispering loudly to each other.

  
"What is going on?" she asked, standing up.

  
She could feel Cordelia and the council coming back, their auras exactly as she remembered them.

  
"They looked like they've been in a car crash," one of the girls said.

  
Mallory heard the front door open. Hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs. It was Misty, who instantly rushed to take Cordelia in her arms.

  
"Delia! Oh god, I was so worried! What happened to you?"

  
"We tried to run over the Antichrist but he didn't appreciate the gesture," Queenie replied.

  
Mallory imagined they looked the worst for wear, probably a few cuts and bruises, maybe a broken arm in and there.

  
"That pompous prick," Myrtle spat out. "I can't wait to finally get my hands around his throat."

  
"Come on," Misty decided. "I'll prepare something, you'll be back on your feet in no time."

  
She led the group into the kitchen. Mallory thought she felt Cordelia's eyes on her, but she wasn't sure. She tried to get the class' attention back so they could continue, but at this point, once they'd seen what the Antichrist had done to the best of them, a fearful veil fell over the classroom. The entire coven heard Madison shouting at Zoe that she should have been more careful, and Zoe shouting back, sparking a shouting match until they finally kissed and made up.

  
More information filtered throughout the afternoon. Apparently, Cordelia and Zoe had been in one car, Myrtle and Queenie in the other with Ariel. Michael appeared in front of them and Cordelia tried to have him run over. He flipped their car and would have flipped the other if Queenie hadn't reacted quickly, and stabbed his hand. He transmuted right after and had not been seen since. Zoe's broken arm had been expressly healed by Misty.

  
Once her class was done Mallory wasn't sure what to do. Should she seek Cordelia, or would Cordelia come directly to talk to her? She remained in the classroom, seated in her chair, for a few minutes, waiting for someone to come get her. When no one came, she stood up and went to her bedroom. She laid down on her bed, and astral projected right beside herself.

  
Cordelia's beacon-like energy came from the greenhouse. Once Mallory was just outside of it, she also felt Misty's calm aura. She walked through the door. They were seated on stools in the middle of the greenhouse. Misty was applying a band-aid on Cordelia's forehead, where a single long cut ran down from her hairline.

  
"I don't need a band-aid," Cordelia said, though she made no move to take it off. "It stopped bleeding almost immediately."

  
"I know what I'm doing," Misty replied. "I'll fix you up in no time."

  
Cordelia smiled.

  
"I know you will."

  
She took Misty's shaking hands in hers.

  
"I'm okay. I'm alive. It's just a few scratches."

  
Misty let out a shaky breath.

  
"I know, just... Mallory was so panicked, and when she said it really was him... I thought I'd never see you again."

  
Cordelia rested her forehead against Misty's, placing their entwined hands on her cheek.

  
"I know. I was scared too. But I promised you I would be back. I'll never fail you."

  
They remained forehead to forehead for a few seconds, Misty seemingly relishing in the skin contact. When Cordelia pulled away, she placed a kiss on Misty's forehead. Then, she turned to look straight at Mallory.

  
"I know you're here. Why don't you come down here instead of hiding? I think you owe me an explanation or two."

  
Mallory pursed her lips. She felt like a child again, being scolded by her parents for a stupid mistake she'd made at school.

  
"I'll be right there."

  
She blinked back in her body and took a deep breath. This was it, she supposed. She could withhold the most important, but really, she didn't want to. She hated keeping secrets, especially from her parents. This would ease her conscience once and for all.

She walked down the stairs and made her way to the greenhouse. When she walked in, she heard Cordelia and Misty talking lightly to each other. Their voices died down when she approached. Mallory heard a stool trembling, and felt Misty moving away.

  
"I probably should let you two talk."

  
"No, please," Mallory said. "Stay. It's... It concerns you too."

  
After a few seconds, she heard Misty sit back down. She felt around until she could find a stool of her own, and sat down in front of them. Her mothers. It was time for them to know the truth.

  
"Where should I start?" she said, more for herself than them.

  
"Have you been lying to me ever since you arrived?" Cordelia asked, her voice betraying the hurt she felt.

  
Mallory sighed.

  
"It's more complicated than that. I lied because that's what you asked me to do. Lie to you, so you would only know what you needed to know. That was always the plan."

  
Cordelia frowned.

  
"Is that why you seemed so familiar? Because we had met before?"

  
"Not exactly."

  
Mallory thought longly about how she could explain it.

  
"I will be born in 2022. I'll officially join the coven in 2036. I will become the new Supreme in 2047 when you'll stab yourself to let me ascend. That's when I was finally strong enough to use Tempus Infinituum. Travel back in time to 2015, and warn you about Michael before he became too strong. I guess I failed that too."

  
She heard small gasps. Then, Misty asked:

  
"If you're a Supreme, how come Cordelia's not losing her powers?"

  
"I don't know. Probably because I already got all of the Supreme's powers before I traveled back. I don't make the rules, I'm just glad me being here hasn't affected you."

  
"What I saw, that first day, those weren't visions, were they?"

  
Mallory shook her head.

  
"It was the truth, all of it. Michael rising and getting ready to blow up the world. His attack on the coven. All of it. We prepared this whole cover-up before I left. You helped me invent visions that would be convincing enough for you to believe. Create a new identity for myself so you wouldn't ask too many questions."

  
Cordelia's stool creaked as she shifted uncomfortably on her seat.

  
"You never had your things stolen on the way here, right? You just didn't have anything with you."

  
"I had your ring," Mallory said, pulling off the ring on her finger, the exact one around Cordelia's finger. "I wish I could have brought more."

  
It was the pictures she missed most, she'd realized. All the framed pictures in her mother's office, in her parents' bedroom, in her own bedroom, all those memories of a bygone era when they were carefree and happy.

  
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth. I made Zoe and Madison promise not to tell you anything."

  
Cordelia's pitch rose in confusion as she said:

  
"Wait, Zoe and Madison knew?"

  
"Madison had her suspicions, so she drugged me and carried me in the attic to interrogate me. She used a truth spell on me. Zoe found me there. I promised I wouldn't tell on them if they didn't tell on me."

  
When Cordelia remained silent, Mallory added:

  
"Don't be too hard on them."

  
"I won't, I'm just... surprised, that Madison could pull off a truth spell on you correctly."

  
Misty, who'd been silent for most of their exchange, said:

  
"Well, it does make sense that you're a Supreme. You're very talented and strong."

  
She sighed, then added:

  
"But what's that got to do with me? You said that it concerned me."

  
Mallory pursed her lips thoughtfully. She took a deep breath, then started:

  
"You two got married in 2020. You tried making a baby, using magic. It didn't work. You tried, again and again, but it just wouldn't work."

  
Mallory pivoted in her seat just enough to face Cordelia.

  
"Eventually, you got tired of it and decided to use a divination spell to look into your future. Not too far, just far enough to see if you would ever have a kid. You had a vision of a little five-year-old girl who needed help. You knew what you had to do. So you started looking for her. You absolutely wanted to save this girl from the system, and from foster families that just wouldn't understand her. You almost gave up until you felt her energy coming into the world. It wasn't that you couldn't find her, it's just that she hadn't been born yet."

  
Mallory paused to force her throat to open again, so she could finish her story.

  
"That's how you adopted me. You convinced the woman from the adoption center that no one could raise a little witch better than you, and that's how you adopted me."

  
Before Mallory's voice died down, she felt arms holding her. Misty pulled her in a tight hug, tears falling down her cheeks and onto her shoulders.

  
"I'm sorry," she whispered in her ear.

  
Mallory was about to embrace her, but she felt Cordelia coming to hug her as well. Trapped in her mothers' arms, she let her tears fall freely.

  
"I'm sorry you had to keep all that in, for so long," Cordelia whispered.

  
There were so many things Mallory wanted to tell them, but all the words jumbled up in her mouth. Instead, she held onto them for dear life, and let them hug her back with all their strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Shoutout to Zorb who has wondered multiple times in the comments how Cordelia would find out about Mallory's time traveling shenanigans. Hope you're satisfied with how I handled it.  
> I finished the story I mentioned yesterday. It's not a one-shot anymore, more like a story made up of ten drabbles, if that makes any sense? I thought about writing yet another multichapter story but maybe I'll take a break first, write something other than foxxay, because as much as I like writing this ship and I know you guys will always want more, I don't want it to start feeling like a chore, like I have to do it to make you guys happy. It's happened in the past before with other fandoms and I don't want to feel like that ever again.  
> Anyway, in my quest to watch everything Netflix can give me with Sarah Paulson in it, I'm gonna rewatch Carol this afternoon!  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you tomorrow for a very action packed chapter tomorrow...


	12. Legion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The witches of the coven get ready for a fight.

With an Antichrist on the loose, Cordelia was quick to up the school's defenses, placing an aura shield over the building. Zoe and Queenie had organized a bomb-making class with their students, while in the room beside it Mallory was training the younger girls to create a shield. Alone they were too weak, but if they worked together and combined their magic, they could protect themselves long enough to run away.

  
"Come on, girls, again. If you can do it correctly this time I'll let you take a break and get some ice cream."

  
This seemed enough of a motivation. The small group of girls each took a hold of the gold medallion and closed their eyes. They started reciting the spell Mallory had taught them. Mallory could feel their magic combining and rising, like a cake in the oven, expending and warming up. A thin purple veil began to appear at the edge of the room.

  
"Yes, you've got this, girls. Keep going."

  
The girls' voices grew louder as the shield became more visible. Mallory was about to congratulate them when she felt it. The emptiness. The black hole. He was standing by the front door.

  
"Girls stop," she shouted, shaking her students out of their concentration. "Take the back door, run to the greenhouse now. Hide there and do not come out until someone you know comes for you."

  
The teenager stood up quickly, dropping the medallion. Using telekinesis, Mallory picked it up and handed it to Laurel.

  
"You're in charge, alright? Keep practicing the spell."

  
Laurel's shaky hand picked up the medallion and the group ran out of the room. Mallory stood up and walked into the hall.

  
"He's here!" she shouted.

  
Zoe peaked out of the classroom door. Cordelia walked out of her office. Madison ran down the stairs.

  
"He won't make it through the door," Cordelia said.

  
"He will. He's not alone."

  
Mallory tried to focus on the exact magical aura at work outside, but with Michael's energy beside it, she couldn't quite pinpoint it.

  
"Someone's using magic to break through for him."

  
Zoe returned inside her classroom, instructing the students to hide. Queenie walked out into the hallway, a knife in hand.

  
"Can you stop the witch who's helping him?" Mallory asked.

  
"Not if I can't see her. But I know exactly who's helping him. You smell that?"

  
"We don't have time to play riddles," Madison replied.

  
"That's voodoo."

  
"Where's Myrtle?" Zoe asked as she walked out of the classroom.

  
"In the greenhouse with Misty. They were working on a new spell for this very occasion."

  
"Well they better hurry up," Madison said, trying to hold the quiver in her voice.

  
White smoke spread under the door, eating the spell away like acid. Madison swallowed loudly.

  
"I guess it's back to retail," she mumbled.

  
"Don't say that," Zoe replied, though she seemed just as uneasy as her girlfriend.

  
"You know what to do," Cordelia said.

  
They each scattered back in the rooms, leaving Cordelia alone on the stairs. Mallory hid in the dining room, holding her breath.

* * *

The click of the lock was the loudest sound this house had ever heard. The door creaked open, and Michael walked in. A woman was standing beside him, with short dark hair and an assault rifle in her hands. Cordelia caught a glimpse of Dinah Stevens walking away. She promised herself she would deal with her later. Michael walked in, his right-hand woman slightly behind him.

  
"We've been expecting you."

  
Michael smirked.

  
"I can take everything you've prepared. When all of this is over, I will still be standing while you will all be with my father."

  
"You're all talk and no bite. One of my students almost killed you and she wasn't even physically there."

  
Michael looked around.

  
"Yes, where is she? The girl out of time. It's true that we weren't expecting her the first time. But this time, well, I already cut the running water. No reset this time."

  
Cordelia smirked.

  
"You'll be the one begin for a do-over when we're done with you."

  
The woman beside Michael lifted her rifle toward Cordelia. Blood poured out of her throat. Michael's eyes grew wide in surprise. A few stab wounds suddenly pierced his chest, making him huff. His eyes turned toward Queenie, who was standing in the doorway of the classroom, repeatedly stabbing herself with fierce determination. There was fire burning in his cold eyes.

  
The piano suddenly flew from the library and straight at him. Michael turned just in time to send it back to Zoe. Mallory jumped out of her hiding place, breaking the piano into pieces before it could hit her friend. Michael's eyes fell on her. Then, he caught fire. He stumbled back, the fire blinding him but not harming in any way. Madison slowly moved toward Zoe.

  
"So, fire's off the table."

  
She picked up the assault rifle, only to find the woman still clutching onto it fiercely. Blood had stopped dripping out of her wound, and she was furious.

  
"Fucking bitches," she mumbled to herself as she pulled the weapon out of Madison's hands.

  
Her right eye suddenly burst into red liquid, and her throat was once again sliced open. Madison looked over at Queenie, who nodded at her. Madison pulled the assault rifle out of the woman's hands.

  
Once Michael finally managed to get out of the flames, Cordelia sent him against the nearest wall. Zoe levitated the sharpest pieces of the piano she could find, and she stabbed him in the chest multiple times.

  
There were a few seconds when the girls could breathe.

  
"Okay, what now?" Madison asked with a tense voice.

  
"He's gonna keep coming back until we separate his soul from his body," Cordelia said.

  
"I'll go check on them," Zoe decided, as she sprinted toward the greenhouse.

  
Michael's henchwoman opened her eyes once again and pushed herself back up. Cordelia twisted her neck with a movement of the hand, and she fell back down.

  
"We need to get rid of her too. He's just going to keep bringing her back."

  
"I'll take care of it," Queenie decided, as she grabbed the woman by the shirt and pulled her toward the kitchen. "Do not let him get up."

  
Mallory and Madison moved closer to Cordelia. The tension in the room was palpable. Three pairs of eyes glared at Michael. As soon as his eyes opened, Madison lifted the rifle. Mallory had no idea whether Madison even knew how to use it, but she gave it her all. Michael pushed himself off the wall, ignoring completely the pieces of wood stuck in his chest. His feet had barely touched the ground that he was already being filled with lead. Only, he didn't seem to mind. He lifted his hand, and Mallory felt his energy spreading under their feet. She reacted just in time. When flames began to consume the ground under them, she stifled them, her fingers curled in concentration. Madison threw the gun away and she and Cordelia moved down the stairs.

  
The parquet floor under Michael groaned, and tentacle-like liana's climbed out of the floor, wrapping themselves around his legs, and up his body. From the corner of her eyes, Mallory could see Misty focusing all of her energy on the plants. Cordelia pulled the strings from the piano and had them wrapped around his upper body. The thin, sharp strings cut into his skin, leaving red streaks behind as Cordelia tightened them around Michael's body. If she tried, she could have cut him to pieces, Mallory knew.

  
Michael let out a roar of rage. A wave of fire rippled around the room, pushing all the witches away, burning away his bondages. Mallory was quick to push herself back up. He was aiming for her, taking determined strides toward her.

  
"I thought I had made up my mind, that I was going to make you watch as I killed them all. But you're too much of a thorn in my side, I can't keep you alive another second."  
Mallory tried to push him away, but he resisted, walking in place for a few seconds before pulling through. She transmuted away and lifted all the nails from the unfinished bombs. She aimed them at him. He deviated them, and some scrapped Madison, who didn't have time to move out of the way.

  
Mallory heard cracking beside her. Suddenly, the wall fell on top of her. She barely had time to turn the wood into dust before it fell on top of her. Michael roared in rage. He pulled a piece of the banister off and threw it at her like a spear. It was deviated by Cordelia. He threw another one, and again Cordelia moved it out of the way. It passed through the front door's window, shattering it.

  
Cordelia summoned more piano strings, trying to restrain him. The shards of glass flew in her direction. She had to let go of the strings to divert the glass. Another piece of the banister flew straight at Mallory. She felt the pain, pushing the air out of her lungs. She fell to the ground. Misty rushed by her side, pulling her away from the fight.

  
"Hold still... I'll just..."

  
Before she could pull the piece of wood away, Mallory's hands stopped her.

  
"I'll be right back, okay?"

  
Mallory closed her eyes and exhaled, her conscience lifting out of her body. She reopened her eyes. She was standing beside Misty. She placed her hand on her mom's shoulder, hoping she could feel it. Then, she marched back into the fight.

  
Cordelia was still desperately trying to maintain Michael tied up with the piano strings, a few shards of glass planted in the side of her face.

  
Mallory lifted the tuning pins from the wreckage of the piano. She planted them in each of Michael's joints, his elbows, his knees, his ankles, his wrists, his shoulders, his neck.  
"The spell is ready!" Zoe said, running back into the hall, a few vials in her arms.

  
Myrtle arrived right behind her, a single vial of her own in her hands.

  
"And not a moment too soon it seems."

  
Michael struggled to get out of the hold. Mallory chocked him. His face turned white, his eyes black. She clenched her teeth and managed to hold him in place. Zoe gave a vial to Cordelia, then another one to Madison.

  
"Where's Mallory?" Zoe shouted, looking around.

  
"Here, I'll do it."

  
Queenie emerged out of the kitchen, her tee-shirt drenched in blood. She rubbed her bloody hands on a kitchen cloth.

  
"The fuck did you do?"

  
"I took a page out of Mary's book, does it matter?"

  
Each armed with a vial, they formed a circle around Michael, who was still struggling and sneering, like a snake caught in a trap. They opened the bottles and spread their content around him, making a circle. Dark sand and eggshells and dried leaves spread on the singed ground. Myrtle started the chant, the others quickly catching up. Mallory watched from a distance as Michael struggled and cried out. She could feel his dark energy being pulled down, down, drowned in her sisters' energy.

  
When the chant ended, his lifeless body hit the ground heavily. Mallory saw them sigh and hug happily. It all seemed so easy the second time around.

  
With a sigh, Mallory let herself sink as well. She had one last thing to do.

* * *

Her eyes opened. She was still standing in the entrance hall of the school. It had been devastated and torn to pieces by Michael's rage. He was standing there, weakly calling out:

  
"Father! I know you can hear me! Bring me back, let me finish your work!"

  
"He can't hear you."

  
He turned around. He looked angry, but there was no fire in his eyes anymore.

  
"Where am I?"

  
"You haven't moved. You're still at the school. They separated your soul from your body. You're just a ghost now."

  
"Ghost or not, I can still kill you all."

  
He held out his hand, but nothing happened.

  
"No, you can't."

  
The entrance door opened. Laughter echoed in the room. Mallory recognized quickly who it belonged to. Papa Legba was waiting for what had been promised to him.

  
"I'm the son of Satan! I'm the most powerful being on Earth!"

  
"You're not, and you never were. You really thought you could mess with an army of witches on your own?"

  
He lunged for her. She pushed him back. He landed on the ground and skid to a stop by the door. Nan was suddenly over him, smiling maniacally.

  
"I'm gonna enjoy torturing you," she said. "No one messes with my sisters except me, bitch!"

  
She pulled him, kicking and screaming, through the door. It shut loudly. Mallory felt Papa's presence beside her.

  
"Good work, unfortunate one. I will return your eyes, as promised."

  
"Thank you. Please, make sure he gets special attention."

  
Papa Legba laughed.

  
"I will make sure he gets everything he deserves."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I realized that we haven't really gotten a lot of fight scenes between the witches, either in Coven or Apocalypse. And in most cases, they almost exclusively used telekenises to flung things at each other. Even the last fight against Michael in Outpost 3 didn't have a lot of magic involved, if you think about it. So I tried my best to make it feel like a real badass fight. And before you ask I am a big fan of FullMetal Alchemist, so maybe I let it influence me more than it should...  
> Tomorrow will be both the last chapter and the epilogue. I had not realized how quickly we were coming to the end but here we are. So I'll see you then!


	13. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle down once again at Miss Robichaux after Michael's defeat.

Mallory blinked awake, the taste of blood on her tongue. She felt something sticky on her face, running down her nostrils and on her chin. For a second, she thought she was still astral projecting. She could see blurry shaped above her. Once she blinked the tears out of her eyes, she saw Cordelia and Misty leaning over her.

  
"Hey...," she mumbled with a smile, "we did it."

  
"We did," Cordelia agreed.

  
Mallory tried to push herself up. She clenched her teeth. Her entire body felt sore, especially her stomach. She was in the dining room, surrounded by her sisters. The banister which had impaled her lay on the ground, still stained with blood. To her surprise, however, she wasn't surrounded by a puddle of blood.

  
"Did you guys brought me back?" she asked, her head somewhat dizzy.

  
"Didn't need to," Misty explained. "As soon as I pulled the thing out you fixed yourself up."

  
Mallory nodded vaguely.

  
"If you don't mind, I think I'll take a nap."

  
The others laughed, though it wasn't a joke. She really did feel absolutely exhausted after this intense fight.

  
"Come on, I'll take you to your room," Misty decided as she helped Mallory up.

  
Mallory let Misty support her weight as she led her to the stairs. The entrance hall was a mess. A whole chunk of the wall had been pulled down and turned to dust. The floor of the library was covered with piano pieces. There was a blood track leading toward the kitchen. Glass and nails and wood shards were embedded in every imaginable surface. The front door was busted. The end of the railing had started to fall off tracks. The ground under and around Michael's unconscious body was busted and singed.

  
"What are we going to do with him?" Mallory heard Zoe asked.

  
"We'll burn him with Ariel," Cordelia decided. "Put his ashes in tiny vials and bury them in as many unmarked locations as we can come up with."

  
"I like the sound of that."

  
Misty helped Mallory up the stairs carefully. She encouraged her to take steps after steps with small 'come on, almost there', which made Mallory smile. Once on the first floor, they walked to Mallory's bedroom. Misty helped her sit on the bed. Mallory wanted nothing more than to lie down, fall asleep and wake up the next day. Instead, she pulled Misty into a hug. Misty was surprised at first, but she let herself be hugged.

  
"I can't believe we did it," Mallory whispered.

  
"Me neither. That moment he looked at me was the scariest moment of my life, even scarier than Hell."

  
Misty pulled away and looked at Mallory with shiny eyes and a smile.

  
"I'm so glad you're still here. I thought as soon as he was gonna be dead you were gonna disappear."

  
Mallory chuckled.

  
"That's not how it works. I'm not going anywhere."

  
Misty pulled her into another hug, and whispered in her ears:

  
"My brave little girl. I know I'm not really your mom, but I wanted you to know I'm proud of you, and so's Delia."

  
Mallory sniffed and tried to hold her tears in. There was a soft knock at the door. Misty turned around, and Mallory looked over her shoulder. Cordelia was standing by in the doorway.

  
"You lost this during the fight."

  
Cordelia placed Mallory's golden headpiece on her nightstand. She glanced between Misty and Mallory with uncertainty, until Misty smiled at her.

  
"I was just telling Mal how proud of her you are."

  
Cordelia looked at Mallory with a smile.

  
"Of course I'm proud of you. Not just for today but for... everything. None of this would have been possible without you."

  
Mallory shrugged vaguely, trying no to jolt her body too much.

  
"You saved me when you adopted me, so it's just repaying the favor, I suppose."

  
Cordelia sat beside her.

  
"You did far more than that."

  
She pulled Mallory into a side hug.

  
"Thank you."

  
When Cordelia pulled away from the hug, she realized Mallory had fallen asleep against her. She sighed with amusement. Together with Misty, they put their future daughter to bed and silently left the bedroom.

  
"Our future selves really did something awesome," Misty said. "Kinda makes me nervous."

  
Cordelia pulled Misty into a kiss.

  
"Don't be. You're gonna be an amazing mom."

  
"You too. I love you."

  
"I love you too."

  
They kissed, and as Misty tried to place her hand on Cordelia's cheek she felt the sharp irregular pieces of glass still embedded there. She pulled away and took her girlfriend's head in her hands, turning it to the side so she could see better.

  
"I'll go get the tweezers," she decided, then placed a kiss on Cordelia's other cheek and hurried down the stairs.

* * *

Ariel was burned a few days later, along with the treacherous Dinah Stevens, Michael's empty vessel and the pieces of his henchwoman Queenie had hacked up during the fight. While Cordelia wanted to begin renovation on the entrance hall, she found herself in a tight spot money-wise. Then, as if the goddesses had heard her prayers, she received a call from Mr. St Pierre Vanderbilt.

  
"First of all, I wanted to thank you for accepting Coco into your academy."

  
Cordelia smiled. She was seated in one corner of the table, the billionaire and his daughter in the other. The young woman was not pleased to be there, arms crossed, a pout on her lips. Mallory was waiting in Cordelia's office to take the new student upstairs.

  
"Well that makes one of us," Coco said.

  
"Coco doesn't think she needs to be here," her father explained.

  
"Well, that's a polite way of saying this totally sucks ass."

  
Cordelia frowned.

  
"Why would say that?"

  
"This is a school for witches, right?"

  
As Cordelia spoke, Mallory closed her eyes. She could still feel her sisters' aura, even if it took her a bit more time to concentrate. Coco's energy was like a rising sun. A pastel sky, the first few rays of the sun already starting to peek over the horizon. It would take some work, to help this sun shine brightly, but coming here was already a good start.

  
"Well, I'm about as ungifted as they come."

  
"That's not true," the father replied. "Tell Ms. Goode what you did."

  
The young woman seemed hesitant, so Cordelia prompted:

  
"I want to know."

  
"Go on."

  
Coco sighed, then started:

  
"Okay, well, the first time I felt something, I was at Dean & DeLuca with my brother. They had these little samples of biscotti. So Trevor went to eat one when I started tingling and feeling weird. So I smacked the biscotti out of his hand, and we found out that he has Celiac disease, so... I mean, I basically saved his life."

  
"Interesting," Cordelia replied, echoing Mallory's thoughts.

  
"Interesting? I'm a gluten detector, that's my only power. When word spread of my superpower in Beverly Hills, fancy ladies with irritated bowels showed up in droves, holding up snacks and baked goods, just begging me to help them so they could lose that last ten pounds once and for all. It's not much of a power, but it's all I got. I have no other skills."

  
Cordelia offered her a smile.

  
"You can sense things that are dangerous, that is not a terrible place to start."

  
"You're just saying that because my dad donated a zillion dollars to your school," Coco said, pointing to the men working on fixing the banister behind them.

  
"I know this is a big change for you, but I also know the moment you feel your powers growing, developing into something meaningful... There's no feeling on Earth like it. I just ask that you trust me."

  
Coco nodded lightly.

  
"Mallory?"

  
Mallory emerged out of the office and into the classroom.

  
"This is Coco, and it's her first day. Do you think you could show her around, help her get settled?"

  
"Sure."

  
Mallory turned to Coco, who'd just stood up. She smiled and held out a hand. Coco smiled back as she shook her hand.

  
"Hi, welcome to Robichaux."

  
"Thanks."

  
"Come with me."

  
She led Coco through the back to the other staircase.

  
"Sorry, it's a bit of a mess here."

  
"Yeah, I saw that. What the hell happened?"

  
Mallory pursed her lips.

  
"Cordelia said I shouldn't tell you, but the other girls are probably going to talk anyway. We had a bit of an Antichrist situation on our hands, but it's over now."

  
Coco froze, then laughed awkwardly.

  
"You're joking, right?"

  
"I wish I was," Mallory replied with a slight shrug.

  
"And does that happen often?"

  
"Oh no. It's like Jesus, they only come in once."

  
Coco nodded with uncertainty. She followed Mallory up the stairs.

  
"So you're a student here?"

  
"I was. I teach now. I have a group of beginners, fourteen years old."

"Sheesh, you decided that?"

  
"I did. They're the ones who need the most confidence and patience."

  
Coco looked Mallory over.

  
"And do you guys have like a 'not really gifted but stuck here for now' kind of group?"

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"Yeah, that's Madison's class. She makes all of her girls run errands to the city on foot. If you're late you'll spend the evening in the attic."

  
Coco's feet stopped completely, and Mallory was quick to shake her out of it.

  
"I'm joking. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have."

  
She placed both of her hands on Coco's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes, making the other girl blush.

  
"We are all gifted in one way or another, just differently. You'll see. All you need is a bit of practice, and you'll find what you're good at."

  
"Is that what you tell your fourteen-year-old?"

  
Mallory smiled.

  
"I say it because it's true, even with us accomplished witches. Even the Supreme can't be good at everything."

  
They reached the front staircase and Mallory paused.

"Let's see. There are a few beds available. We've been pretty full since Cordelia came out..."

  
Coco looked up the stairs and said:

  
"Are there any rooms on the first floor? Not that I'm allergic to stairs but..."

  
Mallory nodded.

  
"I don't have a roommate if you want to..."

  
Coco seemed uncertain.

  
"Is that even legal? I mean, a teacher and a student in the room?"

  
"Or if you want to go with Valerie on the third floor."

  
"No, alright. Which one is it?"

  
Mallory led Coco to her bedroom. Truth was, she wanted to keep a close eye on her. She wanted to be the one to help her sun shine as brightly as it could.

  
"Here you go. Don't mind the mess, I promise I'll clean up. It's just that I've been blind for a few years and I just got my sight back a few weeks ago. I haven't had to tidy up."

  
"What?"


	14. Epilgue: Retrospection

Misty wanted to get married in the swamp. She wanted to get married near nature, and not in a building. Cordelia struck a compromise. They married on a beach. Outside, near nature and without shoes, with all of their coven sisters. Myrtle had the honor of officiating. She'd even brought her theremin to play during the reception. Both brides wore beautiful light dresses, with flower crowns in their hair. Mallory served as ring bearer, nervously keeping an eye on the two glittering rings entrusted in her until they were secured around her parents' fingers.

  
The reception was grand, and the dance floor never empty. Piles of discarded shoes had formed all around the tables even before the main course was served. Stevie had been invited to sing. Truly, it was a dream wedding.

  
Mallory had to take a step back from it all. She came to sit at the edge of the water to watch the sunset. The sky had lit up with burning orange hues, igniting the sea all the way to the horizon. Mallory let her fingers toy with the wet sand around her. Now that the tide had receded, a few small crabs had emerged out of the sand and started to crawl toward the ocean, trying to hide back into the water.

  
"It's so beautiful!"

  
Misty plopped in the sand beside Mallory, dragging Cordelia down with her. They had been holding hands since the altar, and if Mallory didn't know better, she would have assumed their palms had been glued together.

  
"It is," Mallory agreed. "It makes you appreciate your eyes."

  
Misty laughed and lightly pushed Mallory with her shoulder.

  
"Am I the only one in this family to have never lost her sight?"

  
"That's because you have the most beautiful eyes," Cordelia replied, pressing a kiss on her wife's cheek.

  
"Guys, keep some for the honeymoon," Mallory joked.

  
Misty pulled her tongue childishly at her.

  
"I hope you're not mad I didn't make you substitute headmistress," Cordelia said.

  
Mallory shook her head.

  
"No, Zoe deserved the position more than me, Supreme or not."

  
Mallory's eyes returned thoughtfully to the horizon, which neither of her mothers missed.

  
"What's on your mind?" Cordelia asked.

  
"I was just thinking, what if while you're on honeymoon I just went away too. Let you guys make up your own life. You can forget me, and adopt Mallory in a few years, without having me in the background."

  
Cordelia fell silent. Misty asked:

  
"Where would you go?"

  
Mallory shrugged.

  
"I don't know. See the world, I guess? I haven't really seen anything outside of New Orleans."

  
"Well, whatever you decide, we'll support your choice," Misty assured her.

  
"You'll always have a family with us," Cordelia added.

  
Mallory turned to smile at them.

  
"Thanks."

  
She sighed longly and looked back at the sky.

  
"Maybe in a few years, who knows? I'll leave you alone to raise a screaming baby and I'll travel somewhere calm."

  
They laughed, and both Misty and Cordelia placed a hand on her shoulder.

  
"Just, whatever happens, promise me you won't forget to adopt me?"

  
The couple exchanged a glance.

  
"We'll never!"

  
"How could we!"

  
Mallory chuckled. She played with the ring around her finger, turning it until it faced the right way again. Then, she stood up.

  
"Come on, I heard they'll be serving dessert as soon as the sun sets."

  
"They can't serve dessert without us!" Misty replied.

  
"Then come on, get up!"

  
Mallory helped both Misty and Cordelia up and ushered them toward the reception. She remained by the shore just long enough to see the sun set on another day, before falling them back to the rest of the coven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it guys! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! I wanted to thank all of you for following till the end, and leaving comments and kudos!  
> I still have two foxxay stories at the ready. One is a very, very, very long one-shot, the other is a very short multichapter story, both I will be posting soon. I'm thinking the one-shot tomorrow and the multichapter I'll start posting the day after. After that, well, I'm sure inspiration is gonna catch up to me eventually. I'm still open from prompts if you have any.  
> Once again, I wanted to thank all of you for reading my story, and I hope you stay safe and have a nice week!


End file.
